Three talking points ahead of Valencia vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD 23 | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s defeat to Benfica in the UEFA Champions League left the team hungry for revenge in their next outing, and they extracted a win over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend.

Their performance, however, did not even appear close to that of a team taking revenge for they were dominated by the visitors for a great part of the game and only scored the winner after Rayo Vallecano had a player sent off.

They return back on to the road for their game this weekend, and will face off against Valencia at Mestalla – a fixture that has not been an easy one for them over the years. More importantly, they must do so with several key names unavailable.

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

Three starters down

Real Madrid’s squad list ahead of the game at Mestalla will have three major names missing, and Alvaro Arbeloa has a massive task in ensuring that the team does not face any challenges dealing with their absence.

That, however, is easier said than done when one considers how all three players are worthy starters in their own right.

Jude Bellingham misses the game after suffering a hamstring blow that has sidelined him for a month and will be unavailable in midfield. Vinicius Jr., who does not have good memories at Mestalla in recent years, also misses the game through suspension.

The player best poised to replace him was Rodrygo Goes and the Brazilian also suffered a setback in training this week and will not travel with the squad.

One will expect Arbeloa to start Arda Guler in Bellingham’s place, but it remains to be seen how the team adapts to the Englishman not being on the field.

In attack, the problems compound given that two big names are unavailable, and it remains to be seen how the manager lines his troops. Kylian Mbappe will start, and may have to shoulder most of the responsibility alone.

Welcome back Trent

Trent returns. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s start to life in the Spanish capital has been anything but memorable so far, especially when one considers how injuries have simply refused to hand him any kind of continuity.

His most recent setback came at the beginning of December when he went down injured against Athletic Club in La Liga, and he has not travelled with the squad ever since. 

Considering that Dani Carvajal was injured too, Real Madrid played a month with no natural right-back.

The new signing is expected to return to the squad for the first time for the game at Mestalla, and several reports suggest that he will not just feature but even start on the night.

Arbeloa and Co. have been very cautious with the defender’s situation and have not allowed him back on the field until he completely recovers from his injury. Now that he is at 100%, all signs point to him starting against Valencia which comes as a major boost.

All eyes, needless to say, will be on the right-back come Sunday night and the player will look to get off to a decent start post-injury. He does have massive expectations to fulfil, and tomorrow should hopefully be the start of a golden period for him.

A menacing venue

Only a few stadiums across the globe perpetually hand Real Madrid serious problems year after year, and Mestalla is one of the few venues that fall in that category.

Since 2015, Real Madrid and Valencia have faced off at the Mestalla on eleven occasions, of which Los Blancos came out with three points only thrice. Five games ended in Valencia’s wins while three ended in draws.

Between 2014 and 2017, Real Madrid did not register a single win at the venue, and they suffered the same streak once more between 2019 and the end of 2021.

In more recent times, Valencia beat Real Madrid by a 1-0 margin in 2023, took a draw in 2024, and lost with a last-gasp Jude Bellingham winner in 2025. Notably, each of the last three meetings at the venue saw a player sent off.

As Real Madrid prepare to head into the same venue tomorrow evening, it is impossible to discount what the numbers say and the men in white must bear in mind that the fight will be a difficult one. 

Valencia may not be enjoying a great season in La Liga, but Real Madrid’s performances have been nothing to cheer either and they will have to fight until the final whistle if they are to undo the curse of Mestalla once more.