Real Madrid will be looking to book their spot in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey when they face Spanish third-tier outfit Talavera.

Having returned to winning ways against Deportivo Alaves, Real Madrid will be looking to build on it when they face Talavera away from home.

The home team have made it this far in the competition by defeating Rayo Majadahonda and Malaga in the previous round. Now, they are gearing up for one of the biggest challenges in their history, as they host giants Real Madrid.

Talavera are seventh in the third tier, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 victory over Merida AD. While the home side will be confident about putting up a strong fight at home, it certainly won’t be easy.

Meanwhile, the visitors have not been in the best of form of late, as they dropped points in four out of their last six league games and have also suffered defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.

Real Madrid are currently second in La Liga, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought win over Deportivo Alaves. Given the massive difference in quality of both sides, Los Blancos are out-and-out favourites for this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Talavera

The home team will be without the services of Valen Gomez, who picked up a red card in their last Copa del Rey outing.

Talavera will lineup in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jaime Gonzalez is expected to take charge in goal. Edu Gallardo and David Cuenca should be the full-backs, while Alvaro Lopez will partner with Sergi Molina in the heart of the defence.

Sergio Montero and Nahuel Arroyo are expected to feature on the flanks in midfield, with Pitu Doncel and Pedro Capo taking charge in a more central role. They will look to shield the backline and ensure Madrid do not dominate the ball too deep in their half. Finally, Arturo Molina should start alongside Gonzalo Di Renzo in the strike partnership.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gonzalez; Gallardo, Lopez, Sergi Molina, Cuenca; Montero, Pitu, Capo, Arroyo; Di Renzo, Arturo Molina

Real Madrid

Endrick, Fran Garcia, and Alvaro Carreras are all back available for the visitors after serving a suspension last time out. But they do remain without the services of Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Eder Militao.

Xabi Alonso will certainly shuffle the pack for this fixture, and his team could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for this outing. Andriy Lunin should take charge in goal. Fran Garcia could feature as the right-back, with Víctor Valdepenas, who recently made his first-team debut, taking charge on the left. In the heart of the defence, Raul Asencio should partner with Alvaro Carreras.

As for the midfield unit, Dani Ceballos could start alongside Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre of the park. They will not only shield the backline, but also look to dictate the pace of the game.

Rodrygo and Franco Mastantuono could feature on the flanks, with Brahim Diaz taking up the number ten role. Meanwhile, Endrick could get a rare start up top ahead of Gonzalo Garcia.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lunin; Fran Garcia, Asencio, Carreras, Valdepenas; Ceballos, Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Diaz, Mastantuono; Endrick

Key Stats

• Talavera were founded in 2011, and they have never played at a higher level than the Spanish third tier.
• Los Blancos have won the Copa del Rey on 20 occasions and are the third most successful club in the competition’s history.
• The home team did make it to the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey back in 2017/18 as well, but they failed to go past it.
• The team in white last won the domestic cup competition back in 2022-23.
• While Los Blancos did make it to the final last season, they ended up suffering defeat at the hands of rivals Barcelona.

Player to Watch

Brahim Diaz

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Since returning to the club from AC Milan after a lengthy loan spell, Diaz has been a very important squad member. While the Moroccan international was not a regular starter, Carlo Ancelotti always counted on him in difficult situations. However, that has not been the case under Xabi Alonso.

Diaz still tends to get minutes off the bench but does not have as important a role. In his 18 outings, he has only racked up 484 minutes and has three goal contributions to his name. Since he is likely to get a start against Talavera, the 26-year-old will be eager to make a mark.

Prediction

Talavera 0-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid will head into this Copa del Rey tie as clear favourites, even with Xabi Alonso expected to rotate his squad. The visitors possess far too much quality across the pitch, and fringe players will be eager to seize their opportunity and stake a claim for more regular minutes.

The home side will look to stay compact and make the most of set-pieces and transitions, but sustaining that resistance for 90 minutes could prove difficult. Given the gulf in experience and depth, Real Madrid should have enough to get the job done comfortably and book their place in the next round. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Xabi Alonso and his charges.