Three talking points ahead of Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD4 | OneFootball

Real Madrid return to action in La Liga after a two-week hiatus tomorrow evening as they take on Real Sociedad in the Basque Country on Matchday four of La Liga.

The hosts have not had a memorable start to the new season as they have lost one and drawn two of their games so far and are winless in La Liga. Their draws came against Valencia and Espanyol while their only defeat surprisingly came against Real Oviedo.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are among one of only two teams still on a perfect record in La Liga and will be gunning for their fourth straight win in the competition under Xabi Alonso’s tutelage.

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

The South American concerns

Xabi Alonso perfectly understands the importance of sustainable management of players especially in the hectic schedule that involves not only club but even country.

With many star players returning from international duty, the manager has thus been considering making rotations for the game against Real Sociedad for a while now. It is, in particular,  the South American internationals whose situation worries him.

Playing late into the hiatus and enduring a long travel back, Federico Valverde and Franco Mastantuono will have fatigue accumulated after their return home and the manager could be looking to hand both players a rest tomorrow.

What that means, naturally, is that neither player is expected to start and the doors seemingly open for a new set of players to take their place in the starting lineup.

Dani Ceballos, for starters, appears to be a promising candidate to take Valverde’s place in the lineup as he will provide stability and playmaking through the middle and is the closest replacement in terms of profile.

Mastantuono, meanwhile, will likely be replaced by Brahim Diaz or Rodrygo Goes on the right wing with the former being a more likely option given the latter’s overt preference towards the left-wing position now.

First difficult away test

A tough test awaits Real Madrid. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Two of Real Madrid’s three games so far in La Liga were at the Santiago Bernabeu, while their first away game of the season came at Real Oviedo against the newly promoted side.

Their march of nine points in three games, while impressive, is still subjective as the men in white have not faced any serious challenges or tests yet. Tomorrow’s game will be one of the first such challenges for Alonso and Co., not only as a tricky opposition but also a tricky venue.

Real Sociedad may not have enjoyed a strong start to the new season, but the fact remains that they can be a real thorn in the foot if they get going. After their relatively slow start to the campaign, they will be motivated to step up against Real Madrid.

The Reale Arena has not particularly been a difficult stadium for Real Madrid to visit over the years, but one remembers the hard-fought Copa del Rey games they had to play against the Basque side last season and how they barely got over the line after 180 minutes.

Tomorrow’s game, thus, is Real Madrid’s most difficult clash yet and it will be interesting to see how Alonso’s ideas hold up on the night against a strong Basque side with a passionate crowd behind them.

Who should start at right-back?

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s arrival was hailed as the beginning of a new era for Real Madrid’s defence with the Englishman touted as the long-term bet the team required in the department.

Dani Carvajal’s return from injury coinciding with the new signing’s integration period, however, has left Alonso in a fix for it now appears that the old guard may have far more to offer than the younger counterpart signed to replace him.

In Real Madrid’s three games so far, Trent has started twice and Carvajal once. The latter, however, has looked very comfortable coming back from injury and it is clear that his chemistry on the field at the moment is superior.

The former Liverpool star will indeed be Real Madrid’s long-term right-back without any doubt, but the manager must decide on who his preferred option is for this season.

Both players will constantly rotate with each other, but the pecking order will decide which of the two players Alonso prefers as a starting option for the big nights.

Tomorrow’s away clash against Real Sociedad, in some way, is the first game where Alonso must make such a decision and it will be interesting to see who he picks as it may provide a hint on who stands ahead of whom on his pecking order.