Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad | La Liga MD 24 | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s elimination from the Copa del Rey meant that the team did not have any game midweek, handing the squad a complete week off after the hard-fought win over Valencia at Mestalla.

They did not perform particularly well on the night, but they grabbed a 2-0 victory and stayed within a point of Barcelona. This weekend, they have a good chance to temporarily dethrone the Catalans with a win, but the path there will not be easy.

After all, they play host to Real Sociedad who are on a run of three straight wins, and their last defeat came in the second week of December. 

Real Madrid, meanwhile, suffered their last defeat in the Champions League in January. As such, they will face Benfica in the first-leg of the knockout playoff as a consequence of the same next week, which could influence manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s selection.

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

A possible turning point in defence

The last time Antonio Rudiger featured in a game for Real Madrid was over a month ago when they took down Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Playing through pain to help the team out on the night, the German international suffered a fitness setback that took over 30 days to recover from, but he is not finally back and ready to contribute.

As relayed earlier this week, all signs point to Rudiger making his return in defence for Real Madrid tomorrow night which comes as a massive boost for Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans.

After all, he has been a mainstay regardless of the manager he has played under and has never been available at the newly appointed coach’s disposal.

Further, there is a good chance he even starts against Real Sociedad given Raul Asencio’s own fitness concerns. In many ways, the game could signify a turning point for Real Madrid’s defence this season.

The backline has been a problem for Los Blancos this season, and the lack of leadership and inspiration has been evident. With Rudiger back, the men in white will hope the veteran can add that X-factor to the department and beef it up sufficiently in the coming games.

Carvajal’s night back?

Set to start against Real Sociedad?. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s game against Valencia at Mestalla had several key takeaways, but one of the most significant ones was how club captain Dani Carvajal was left fuming after the game.

The veteran, after all, was left on the bench by the manager who opted to hand David Jimenez the start at right-back and Trent Alexander-Arnold a role off the bench – handing him no minutes on the night.

Considering how it was the veteran who returned from injury significantly earlier than Trent and had seen just 27 minutes of action in the month, his frustration was valid.

Since then, Arbeloa and Carvajal have spoken and sorted out their misunderstanding, and it now appears that they are on better terms. In that sense, Saturday could see the captain play meaningful minutes for the first time since his return.

In fact, reports indicate that the 34-year-old club captain could even be named in the starting XI, with Arbeloa having tested him in the lineup in training today.

It could, thus, be a critical game for him in terms of announcing his return and beginning his journey back into the manager’s tactics.

An opposition in fine form

Real Sociedad got off to a poor start to the season, but the managerial change they made mid-season turned their fortunes around astonishingly.

Pellegrino Matarazzo has transformed the La Real team into one hungry for wins, organised in possession and far more clinical in front of goal – a combination of factors that make them a dangerous opponent.

He took over ahead of Real Sociedad’s game against Atletico Madrid early in January and his side drew 1-1 against Diego Simeone’s side to mark a decent start.

They then won against Getafe, Osasuna, and even took down Barcelona with a massive 2-1 win to see them drop points in the title race. Of their five games thereafter, they have drawn one and won four.

Both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad thus enter the clash with managers who have been at the club for just over a month, but while Arbeloa and Real Madrid suffered losses in the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, La Real are unbeaten under him so far.

They will, thus, enter the game knowing well that they can hurt Real Madrid if they bring their natural game.