Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Celta Vigo: Copa del Rey | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be eager to bounce back from their Spanish Super Cup final defeat with a victory against Celta Vigo.

All eyes will be on Real Madrid's response to their embarrassing 2–5 defeat to Barcelona. Carlo Ancelotti's men have now lost the first two Clásicos of the 2024–25 season, conceding a staggering nine goals between the two matches. Los Blancos must flush the poor performance quickly, though, with Copa del Rey action coming just four days later.

The reigning Spanish and European champions are set to welcome Celta Vigo to the Santiago Bernabéu with a trip to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on the line. Expect Ancelotti to implement some changes to his XI that was demolished by the Catalans.

Along with the injured Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão, both David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois are absent from Ancelotti's squad for Thursday's fixture. Despite his straight red card against Valencia, Vinícius Júnior is available to play against Celta Vigo. The Brazilian's two-match suspension only applies to La Liga games.

Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Celta Vigo on Jan. 16.

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Celta Vigo (4-2-3-1)

GK: Andriy Lunin—The Ukrainian secures his second consecutive start in the Copa del Rey.

RB: Lucas Vázquez—Despite his defensive woes at the weekend, Vázquez is still Ancelotti's only option on the right flank.

CB: Raúl Asencio—The 21-year-old should get the nod after Aurélien Tchouaméni's struggles against Barcelona.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—The center back must lead the backline to a better defensive performance.

LB: Fran García—The Spaniard returns to the starting XI in place of Ferland Mendy, who also played poorly in the Spanish Super Cup final.

DM: Dani Ceballos—Ceballos' involvement could finally give Fede Valverde a much-needed rest.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The Frenchman returns to the midfield for the first time since December.

RW: Rodrygo—Rodrygo should get the nod on the right wing after scoring in five of his last six appearances, but Ancelotti could also opt for Brahim Díaz if he wants to change the attack.

AM: Jude Bellingham—The England international is at his best when he plays with complete freedom. Bellingham has bagged nine goals in the last two months.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—The Brazilian has not found the back of the net in a month and will look to leave his mark before serving his La Liga suspension.