Asencio, Bellingham start in a 4-1-4-1 – How Real Madrid can line up against Athletic Club | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be intent on ending their three-game winless streak in La Liga when they take on Athletic Club tonight at San Mames.

Three draws in a row, against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona, have left Los Blancos trailing arch-rivals FC Barcelona in the La Liga table.

With the Catalans beating Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, they now have a four-point lead at the top of the table, and the pressure is on Xabi Alonso & co. to produce a strong reaction, end the run of winless games in La Liga, and get their campaign back on track.

Injuries continue to be a problem for Real Madrid, though, as they are once again without key defender Dean Huijsen, while Dani Carvajal and David Alaba remain unavailable. Ferland Mendy has picked up a fresh injury, a week after making his comeback from a previous one.

There are likely to be one or two changes made to the starting lineup that took the field in the 1-1 draw against Girona over the weekend as Alonso and Real Madrid hope to break their winless streak.

Defence

There is no looking past Thibaut Courtois in goal for Real Madrid, with the Belgian international being one of the few players who has performed consistently for the team this season.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold seems to be finding his stride at right-back after a troubled start at Real Madrid and will look to build on his recent momentum.

On the left side, there should be a change, with the reliable Alvaro Carreras expected to return in place of Fran Garcia, who got a rare start vs Girona.

Alvaro Carreras to return to the team. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

At the heart of the defence, Alonso is unlikely to risk Antonio Rudiger in back-to-back high-intensity matches given he only returned to action at the weekend. As such, Raul Asencio, recovered from gastroenteritis, should start with Eder Militao.

Midfield

The midfield department has been an issue for Alonso, with the manager struggling to find the right formula to fit his best players without affecting the balance and chemistry.

What is certain is that Aurelien Tchouameni will slot in as the deepest midfielder for Real Madrid, looking to provide defensive stability and control.

Meanwhile, the manager continues to insist that Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham can play together and thrive, and will deploy the pair as the two advanced midfielders.

Federico Valverde will move out wide to the right side of the midfield while the left flank will be taken up by Vinicius Jr, hoping to make an impact on the pitch amid all the noise surrounding his contract situation.

Attack

Kylian Mbappe will be the man spearheading the attack for Real Madrid, with support coming from Vinicius on the left and Bellingham, who will push forward at every given opportunity.

Rodrygo Goes will likely get a chance off the bench as he hopes to end his 30-game streak without a goal for Real Madrid.

Franco Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz are also options for Alonso if he needs to change things up, depending on the game-state.