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

Matchday 16 presents some of La Liga’s most fascinating clashes from a standings point of view. Barcelona and Girona take on each other in a massive clash at the top of the table, while co-leaders Real Madrid also face tough competition in Real Betis.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men currently sit in seventh place on the table with 25 points in 15 games. They are just a point off a place in the European berths and enter Saturday’s clash in impressive form.

Real Betis are unbeaten in Spain in their last 12 games, with their only defeats since September coming in the UEFA Europa League. Their last defeat in La Liga came against Barcelona close to three months ago.

Travelling to Benito Villmarin, it will thus not be easy for Real Madrid, especially considering the situation they are in from a fitness standpoint.

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

The latest blow

Real Madrid just cannot catch a break with injuries. The men in white already boast a long list of players ruled out for both the short and long term, and the list only got longer after the weekend’s clash against Granada.

During the last game, Dani Carvajal left the field injured and was replaced by Lucas Vazquez at half-time. Tests eventually confirmed that the veteran had suffered a blow to the calf muscle of his left leg, ruling him out for the rest of the month.

The first-choice right-back’s injury, needless to say, only aggravates the wounds Carlo Ancelotti’s side are combating. After all, Carvajal was in great form this season, scoring two goals and providing two assists in La Liga.

Two options stand out to the manager in view of the latest situation – Nacho Fernandez and Lucas Vazquez. The former has played more minutes this season but the latter serves as a like-for-like deputy at right-back.

Ancelotti thus has some tweaks to make in his formation ahead of kickoff against Los Verdiblancos. His decision could not only impact the result on Saturday night but also the club’s long-term planning for the right-back position for next season.

An opponent in equal jeopardy

Manuel Pellegrini will be without a host of key players. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

A lot can be said about Real Madrid’s struggles ahead of the clash on Match day 16. With Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Vinicius Jr, and now Dani Carvajal out through injury, the men in white are indeed without some of their biggest names.

However, Real Betis find themselves in a similar, if not worse situation. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are plagued with absences across the field and enter one of their most difficult games severely short-staffed.

As it stands, seven players are set to be unavailable for Real Betis on the day. Guido Rodriguez, Marc Bartra, Claudio Bravo, Rodri, and William Carvalho all will miss the clash on Saturday through injury while Hector Bellerin will miss the game through suspension.

Perhaps the team’s biggest blow, however, is the precarious situation of Nabil Fekir who is also likely to sit the game out through injury.

Betis’ situation is indeed unfortunate, for the game is absolutely critical for their pursuit of a European berth. Yet, Ancelotti’s side, plagued by their own worries, will be delighted to have a slightly easier road to keeping their position on the top of the table.

After all, one or both of Barcelona and Girona will drop points on match day 16, helping Los Blancos atop the standings.

Situation between the sticks

“Kepa is back and it’s good to have two great goalkeepers. I will choose tomorrow,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference when asked about arguably his biggest dilemma ahead of Saturday’s clash.

Having signed Kepa Arrizabalaga as a direct replacement for the injured Thibaut Courtois, everything was going well in Madrid. The Spaniard took over as the team’s new regular goalkeeper, with Andriy Lunin serving as an able backup.

Everything changed when Kepa found himself ruled out through injury last month. The Spaniard’s absence paved the way for Lunin to find a place in the manager’s starting lineup, and boy did the Ukrainian step up.

Over the team’s past five games, the 24-year-old has given the manager no reason to displace him from the lineup. He was one of the team’s biggest match-winners against SC Braga exactly one month ago, and every performance thereafter has seen him go to greater strengths.

It will thus be interesting to see how the Italian gaffer manages the delicate situation in goal. Will he stick with the in-form Ukrainian or revert to his initial trusted option?