Three talking points ahead of Leganes vs Real Madrid | Copa del Rey | OneFootball

Real Madrid lock horns with Leganes in the quarterfinal of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night at the Estadi Municipal de Butarque in a game that is far more grueling than appears to the eye.

Borja Gimenez’s men may sit in 16th place on the league standings, but they have proven to be a formidable side at home and are no strangers to giving Real Madrid a tough time in their own backyard.

Leganes have performed well under pressure this year and even beat Barcelona in La Liga at Montjuic. They even got the better of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid under a month ago and will look to inflict another defeat on a Spanish giant tomorrow night.

Of the last four games Real Madrid have played against Leganes at the Butarque, they have won only won. The other three matches ended in two draws and a win for Leganes and it is clear that the quarterfinal will be very tightly contested tomorrow.

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

Defensive crisis

Carlo Ancelotti made it very clear that the team is staring at an emergency defensive situation ahead of a crucial month.

The manager finds himself in a pickle, especially after losing two more of his defensive resources, and is currently without any of his preferred personnel at the back.

Antonio Rudiger’s injury against Espanyol was untimely and sent the alarm bells in Madrid ringing. After all, the German defender has been leading the Merengues’ back-line from the beginning of the season.

David Alaba was all set to take his place alongside Aurelien Tchouameni tomorrow, but a last-minute injury to the Austrian star leaves Real Madrid without both first-choice starters for over two weeks.

Tomorrow night, Ancelotti will only have Raul Asencio and Jesus Vallejo as available natural centre-backs, with youngsters Jacobo Ramon and Mario Rivas being called up.

Given that he does not count on Vallejo, it is likely that he will field Tchouameni alongside Asencio against Leganes.

It will thus be interesting to see how Los Blancos fare with the makeshift defence. After all, it is the same duo who will have to start vs Atletico Madrid and Manchester City this month.

Big names missing

No Bellingham, Alaba, and Mbappe. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

If Real Madrid’s lack of personnel at the back was not enough, they will be without many other big names tomorrow as revealed by Carlo Ancelotti’s squad list.

For starters, Kylian Mbappe has been left out of the squad after picking up a niggle and will not play any part tomorrow night in the Copa del Rey.

The Frenchman’s absence comes as a huge blow to Ancelotti’s plans considering the rich form he has been in recent weeks.

Jude Bellingham is yet another big name who has not been included in the squad to face Leganes, possibly through a niggle or as part of the manager’s rotations.

Mbappe and Bellingham’s absences thus raise serious questions over the quarter Ancelotti will deploy in attack.

All signs point to Vinicius Jr, Brahim Diaz, and Rodrygo starting in the forward department, and it will be interesting to see if Brahim Diaz merits a start in the attacking midfield to prove his worth.

In other anticipated rotations, Thibaut Courtois has been left out of the squad as well and it will likely be Andriy Lunin who merits a start in the Copa del Rey in goal.

Walking a tightrope

At this point in the season, every game is virtually a must-win fixture. Some, however, bear more immediate consequences than others.

The Copa del Rey, as a direct knockout competition, offers no room for error in any capacity and it is worrying to see Real Madrid enter the clash with so many makeshift accommodations and big names absent.

Many of the manager’s decisions tomorrow will be taken keeping the upcoming Madrid derby in mind. After all, the team have games against Manchester City and Los Rojiblancos in the coming weeks and will need key players rested.

A defeat tomorrow, however, will prove extremely costly as it will end Real Madrid’s campaign in the Copa del Rey once and for all.

There is simply no room for error and it is critical that the fringe players step up and prove their value with mainstays rested or injured. One wrong step and Real Madrid will find themselves knocked out of a second competition in just the second month of 2025.