Three talking points as Real Madrid face Valencia in La Liga | OneFootball

Real Madrid were able to secure a spot in the Copa del Rey semi-final last Tuesday as they beat Real Sociedad with a 5-4 aggregate score. The second leg of this tie was particularly thrilling as both sides refused to give up, and ultimately, the Merengues came out on top because of their advantage from the first leg, as this match ended in a 4-4 draw.

Following this game, Los Blancos are set to return to action in La Liga today, on Saturday, as they face Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu. Keeping in view the recent history between these two sides, this match is also likely to be quite a feisty and tense affair.

From Real Madrid’s perspective, the three main points that will raise the interest of the fans the most ahead of this game are discussed below:

Can Real Madrid keep up with Barcelona?

This is an aspect that will not only be exciting for Real Madrid fans but also for the followers of La Liga and European football in general. The two European giants are going neck to neck in the league at this late stage of the season, and it seems highly likely that one of them will emerge the winner.

Currently, Barcelona enjoy a three-point lead over the Merengues, thus Carlo Ancelotti’s side cannot afford to lose any more points, while also hoping the Blaugranes will drop some in the coming weeks.

Thus, in addition to the general animosity that Los Blancos feel towards Valencia, the tight La Liga race also makes it essential for them to beat the visitors today.

Will Vinicius Junior get his revenge against Valencia?

The first La Liga encounter between the two sides took place in January after it was previously postponed due to DANA floods. Thus, Real Madrid played their first game of 2025 against Valencia, and the 2-1 win for the Merengues also had a lot of emotional value in addition to the three points it provided.

Tempers were high for most part of this game, especially after Vinicius Junior got a rather unfair red card after an altercation with the goalkeeper, Stole Dimitrievski.

Thus, today will be an opportunity for the Brazilian to get his revenge on the Valencians. This opportunity comes at a good time for him as he put on quite a display in the last game against Real Sociedad, providing two assists, after a stretch of unconvincing games. Hopefully, he will put on a show again today, and help Real Madrid get the better of the visitors.

Who will start in goal?

The goalkeeper position will be a headache for Carlo Ancelotti for this game. Thibaut Courtois is still not ready and is absent from the squad list for this game. Although Andriy Lunin is present on this list, he is also not fully fit, and it remains to be seen whether the Italian will risk playing him without full fitness ahead of a crucial midweek game against Arsenal.

Thus, Fran Gonzalez can make his debut for the first team today. But this will be a big decision, keeping in view the importance of the game. Hopefully, the youngster will be up to the task if he gets the nod from Ancelotti.