Alvaro Arbeloa will field a front two of Vinicius Jr. and Gonzalo Garcia for Monday’s must-win clash against Getafe in La Liga.
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Alvaro Arbeloa is expected to field a front two striker pairing of Vinicius Jr. and Gonzalo Garcia for Real Madrid’s must-win La Liga clash against Getafe on Monday night in Spain.
Carrusel reported at the weekend that Kylian Mbappe will be out for up to three weeks as his knee complaints continue, which means the Frenchman could miss both legs of a Champions League last 16 fixture with Manchester City which starts on the 11th.
There are two La Liga meetings to take care of in this one, however, with Getafe first up at home ahead of a trip to Celta Vigo away on Friday.
Bitter rival FC Barcelona put pressure on Los Blancos by thrashing third-place Villarreal at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, meaning that the Catalans are currently four points ahead in the title race.
To keep pace, then, Arbeloa needs a front two pairing of Gonzalo Garcia and Vinicius Jr. to fire on all cylinders in the Bernabeu, while they are flanked by Brahim Diaz and Fede Valverde to their left and right.
A midfield duo will be formed by Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler, meaning there is no place in the starting XI for Eduardo Camavinga.
Further back, defending Thibaut Courtois’ goal, is a defensive line of Alvaro Carreras, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and a Trent Alexander-Arnold that continues to improve and earn minutes.
Although it should expect to win more comfortably this evening in Spain, Real Madrid will want to repeat a 0-1 away win at Getafe in Week 19 of the season, where a 79th minute strike from Kylian Mbappe was enough to take home all three points.
What Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa said
“There’s nothing more I could say about [Getafe manager Javier] Bordalas. He’s a coach who’s been in La Liga for many years, and every year, regardless of the team or players he has. He gets the best out of them.
“He’s a coach who makes his teams play according to his style, and any coach who plays against him knows exactly what to expect. Despite not having much possession, his teams defend very well.
“As the away team, I think they concede the fewest shots on goal. It’s a very well-drilled team because they’re capable of defending very well both deep and high up the pitch. I’m not going to be the one to discover Bordalas and the work he’s been doing for so many years.”
Real Madrid Starting XI Vs. Getafe: Courtois; Carreras, Alaba, Rudiger, Trent; Tchouameni, Guler; Brahim, Valverde; Vinicius, Gonzalo
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