For a Spanish Super Cup semifinal meeting with RCD Mallorca, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti … [+] will make a number of changes to his starting XI compared to that which last played in the Copa del Rey against Deportivo Minera.
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For a Spanish Super Cup semifinal meeting with RCD Mallorca, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make a number of changes to his starting XI compared to that which last played in the Copa del Rey against Deportivo Minera.
The latter clash, a 5-0 win which set up a last 16 showdown with Celta Vigo, saw Ancelotti give debuts to a pair of La Fabrica talents while the likes of Endrick made rare starts.
But for the match in Saudi Arbia where winning means meeting eternal rival FC Barcelona in the decider – after the Catalans saw off the Basques 2-0 on Wednesday – the Italian will go full strength against last season’s Copa del Rey runners up.
Ancelotti is more than familiar with Mallorca and vowed that the way his team approaches the game is “not going to change” despite this being a Super Cup tie and not a La Liga one.
“We know the opponent very well and they know us. It’s going to be very competitive, they gave us a lot of problems in La Liga. They have good characteristics and can fight for the game.”
“I don’t want to compare what has changed with [Javier] Aguirre’s team,” he said at another point of a prematch press conference, where Ancelotti voiced opposition to Vinicius’ two-match suspension which won’t have to be served in the Super Cup.
“They defend very well, like all of [Jagoba] Arrasate’s teams. They leverage the value of their players. It’s my idea of how a coach has to be: to take advantage of the virtues of the players,” Ancelotti added, regarding Aguirre’s replacement amid the Mexican taking the reins of his country’s national team.
Though he has often been critical of an overpacked calendar in soccer’s modern times, Ancelotti stressed that “when there is a title at stake, this team keeps the focus and concentration very high”.
“We have managed this period well. We have had a week of rest and we have taken the opportunity to rest, return well and motivated”.
Because of this, he can field his strongest possible team – injuries considered.
It consists of Thibaut Courtois in goal, protected by a back line of Ferland Mendy at left back, Toni Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni as the center backs, and captain Lucas Vazquez at right back.
Eduardo Camavinga is partnered by Fede Valverde in a double pivot. But more advanced is Jude Bellingham, flanked by wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius on the right and left.
In a lone number 9 striker role, Kylian Mbappe chases his third piece of silverware at Madrid since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Real Madrid Starting XI Vs. Mallorca: Courtois; Mendy, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Vazquez; Camavinga, Valverde; Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrygo; Mbappe
