Real Madrid will be eager to make it consecutive wins in La Liga when they square up against Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Celta Vigo will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to the Santiago Bernabeu to square up against title contenders Real Madrid, who brought an end to their winless run last time out.

The home team are second on the points table with 36 points in their 15 outings. They are a point behind league leaders Barcelona and will look to ensure they maintain the pressure on Hansi Flick’s team with a win here.

After a run of three straight draws, they secured an impressive 3-0 win over Athletic Club last time out and will look to build on it against Celta Vigo at home. Meanwhile, the visitors were winless in their first nine league outings.

However, the Galician outfit have bounced back with three wins in their last five outings, and they have climbed up to 12th on the table with 16 points in their 14 outings. Celta Vigo suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Espanyol in their last league outing and they had to rely on penalties to go past second division outfit Sant Andreu in the Copa del Rey last time out.

The away side will have to be at their absolute best to stand a chance against Real Madrid. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

Real Madrid

Los Blancos will be without the services of Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ferland Mendy. Meanwhile, Dean Huijsen, David Alaba, and Eduardo Camavinga are all major doubts.

The team in white should line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will continue in goal. Raul Asencio and Alvaro Carreras are expected to be the full-backs, while Eder Militao will continue to partner Antonio Rudiger in central defence.

Arda Guler should return to the starting XI and start alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde in the middle of the park. The trio will look to ensure they dominate the proceedings and control the tempo of the game.

Jude Bellingham should feature in the number ten role, while Vinicius Junior will pair up with Kylian Mbappe in the strike partnership. The trio will hold the key to Real Madrid’s fortunes against Celta Vigo this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Courtois; Asencio, Militao, Rudiger, Carreras; Guler, Valverde, Tchouameni; Bellingham; Vinicius Junior, Mbappe

Celta Vigo

The visitors might be without the services of Joseph Aidoo and Mihailo Ristic, who are both major doubts for this fixture. Apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection.

Celta Vigo will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Ionut Radu will be in goal. Javi Rodriguez will start alongside Carl Starfelt and Marcos Alonso in the back three. The trio will receive significant support from Javi Rueda and Sergio Carreira, who will feature as the wing-backs.

As for the midfield unit, Damian Rodriguez will partner with Ilaix Moriba in the centre of the park. The Celta Vigo midfield duo will look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.

Bryan Zaragoza and Iago Aspas should feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Borja Iglesias should lead the line for Celta Vigo against Real Madrid this weekend.

Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Radu; Alonso, Starfelt, Javi Rodriguez; Rueda, Damian Rodriguez, Moriba, Carreira; Zaragoza, Iglesias, Aspas

Key Stats

• Real Madrid ended their three-match winless run in the league with a win over Athletic Club last time out.
• After failing to win any of their first nine league outings, Celta Vigo have now won three out of their last five.
• Los Blancos have only won two out of their last six matches across competitions.
• Xabi Alonso’s men have won all six of their home league games, scoring 14 goals in those outings.
• Celta Vigo last recorded an away win over Real Madrid back in November 2006.

Player to Watch

Jude Bellingham

Embed from Getty Images

The 22-year-old midfield genius missed the initial phase of the season as he was recovering from his shoulder surgery. Since returning to full fitness, Bellingham has been one of the standout performers for Alonso’s team.

While the limelight tends to fall on Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, the English international is equally important to their team’s chances of coming out on top. He will be looking to add to his tally of four goals and two assists when he takes the field against Celta Vigo.

Prediction

Real Madrid 3-0 Celta Vigo

Real Madrid head into the fixture with renewed confidence after ending their three-match winless run with a dominant victory over Athletic Club. With Jude Bellingham back in rhythm and the frontline of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe looking increasingly sharp, Xabi Alonso’s men should have enough firepower and control to dictate proceedings at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Celta Vigo, meanwhile, have shown signs of recovery in recent weeks but remain inconsistent and vulnerable against top opposition. Their narrow defeat to Espanyol and laboured Copa del Rey outing underline the challenges they still face.

While the away side should offer moments of threat through Iago Aspas and Bryan Zaragoza, sustaining pressure against a confident Madrid side will be a tall order. The Hard Tackle predicts another 3-0 win for Real Madrid.