Leganes vs Real Madrid: Three key battles to watch out for | OneFootball

With the end of the November international break, Real Madrid are set to return to La Liga action on Sunday with a match against Leganes.

After a rather woeful last month, the Merengues were able to go into the international break in somewhat good spirits after winning the game against Osasuna with a 4-0 scoreline. On Sunday, they will once again be looking to build up on this win and get another three points.

Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick in that game, but it was still a very costly win for Los Blancos as they lost three important players, Rodrygo Goes, Eder Militao, and Lucas Vazquez to injury.

Still, Real Madrid will be the favourites in this game against Leganes, as they have one of the best squads in the world. However, Leganes can still put up a significant challenge, especially as they will be playing at their home ground.

The following three key battles will attract the attention of most of the spectators in this game:

Juan Cruz vs Eduardo Camavinga

The Spanish attacking midfielder Juan Cruz has been one of the best players for this Leganes team in the 2024-25 season. In his 13 appearances up to now, the Spaniard has scored 4 goals for his side, while also giving 1 assist. According to Sofascore, he has an xG rate of 1.22 and scores every 194th minute.

Cruz is particularly good with his long shots and 2 of his 4 goals have come from outside the box. Thus, Real Madrid will have to remain attentive to the threat that he poses in this game.

As Aurelien Tchouameni is still unlikely to participate in this game because of his muscle sprain, Eduardo Camavinga will start as the Merengues’ starting midfield pivot. He will also be tasked with keeping Cruz in check, and with his tackling ability and mobility, he will be well suited to keep the Spaniard’s threat in check.

Kylian Mbappe vs Jorge Saenz

Kylian Mbappe has still not gotten into the form that most Real Madrid fans expect from him, and he has struggled in particular in the last few games. However, there is still no doubt that he is one of the best players in the world, and once he gets into his groove, he will be a significant force to deal with.

Despite the criticism and his poor late form, the Frenchman has still scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist in his 11 games for the Merengues. He has a xG rate of 8.02, which shows that he is underperforming in his early days at the Madrid club.

Los Blancos will be hoping to see Mbappe to start firing as soon as possible, and this match against Leganes can be a good opportunity for him to get going. However, he will be facing a stern test in this game as well, as Jorge Saenz has also been in good form for Leganes.

The Spanish defender is particularly strong in winning ground duels, and Mbappe will have to work quite hard to get past him.

Munir Al Haddadi vs Federico Valverde

Dani Carvajal is currently out for the rest of the season due to his ACL tear, and his backup, Lucas Vazquez, also suffered a knock in the game against Osasuna. Thus, with the Spanish duo unavailable, Carlo Ancelotti will be without any natural right-back for this game.

In such a situation, Federico Valverde is expected to slot into this position for this game. While the Uruguayan has proven himself to be one of the best midfielders in the world in the last few months, this will still be a new position and a new challenge for him.

Leganes can thus take advantage of the situation, and for this purpose, they have a rather experienced hand available in Munir Al Haddadi. The former Barcelona winger has played on the left wing for most part of this season, and although he is not a fixed starter, he is likely to start this game against the Merengues.

Although Valverde is expected to come out victorious in this battle, Haddadi can still utilise his ability to win ground duels to help his team get into dangerous attacking situations.