Three talking points ahead of Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid | La Liga GW10 | OneFootball

La Liga is finally back after a two-week hiatus and Real Madrid are amongst the first teams to get started off with the new leg of the campaign.

Once again, Los Blancos stare at a hectic month ahead with games scheduled every three days and it all starts tomorrow night at Estadio de Balaidos against Celta Vigo.

The Galicians currently sit ninth on the league standings with four wins, four losses and a draw to their name and have scored 16 goals in their nine games. Notably, however, they have won just two of their last seven games.

Real Madrid’s record at the venue, moreover, is very encouraging as their last defeat at Balaidos came back in a league fixture in 2014.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid.

Rejuvenated and recovered

Two weeks after their 2-0 win over Villarreal, Real Madrid take to the field on Saturday night in Galicia against Celta Vigo.

The fourteen-day hiatus, could not have come at a better time for the men in white, especially given the injury situation Carlo Ancelotti was staring at ahead of the break.

Now, the squad looks more complete and appears rejuvenated for the stretch of the season that lies ahead with several crucial players getting time to work on their fitness.

Kylian Mbappe, for starters, did not travel to play for the French national team and underwent a mini-pre-season to help his recovery. He is now in better shape and could start tomorrow night.

Players like Eder Militao, Andriy Lunin and Vinicius Jr, who all stayed back in Madrid with minor niggles, have also received the green light and have travelled with the team to Galicia.

The third big development is with Thibaut Courtois who has also recovered from injury and returned to the squad. The Belgian goalkeeper will thus likely win back his starting position on the night and relegate Lunin to the bench.

While the aforementioned players are rejuvenated after a two-week break, others including Federico Valverde and Rodrygo played deep into the week with their national teams and could thus start on the bench given the hectic travel.

Mbappe in the spotlight

All eyes on Mbappe. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Kylian Mbappe has been in the news in recent days for all the wrong reasons and the matter is only escalating.

Having skipped international duty for his recovery, the player visited Sweden last week and his short getaway turned out to be a nightmare as an investigation has been opened into a rape incident at the hotel he stayed at, sparking all sorts of controversy.

Carlo Ancelotti had an intimate conversation with the player earlier this week to ensure that he is not affected by the news in the media.

Mbappe reassured him that he had his eyes on the objective and was not distracted by the noise around him.

Yet, it will be very interesting to see how the player manages to keep all the media noise away from his professional life and whether it impacts his performances on the field in any capacity. The spotlight will shine bright on him at Balaidos.

A dire need for momentum

If the schedule this season has not been nerve-racking enough for Real Madrid, the road ahead is only filled with bigger dangers.

Returning to action after the break, the men in white have a very difficult schedule ahead of them with several European giants lined up in a span of weeks.

After the game against Celta Vigo tomorrow, Los Blancos head back to the Santiago Bernabeu where they will hold Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, a repeat of last year’s final.

Days later, they welcome league leaders and in-form Barcelona for the first El Clasico of the season which will be an epic clash given the Blaugrana’s momentum.

A week after El Clasico is a tricky fixture against AC Milan in the Champions League once again, and while the Italians are not in their best form, they can still be a potent threat on their day.

The Merengues thus need every ounce of momentum that they can find, for getting through the schedule ahead demands it of them. With a game every three days, moreover, the need is only amplified.

A win tomorrow at Balaidos will set the tone right for the epic clashes to come and provide the dressing room with some much-needed positivity. After all, their performances so far this season have been anything but dominant.