Will the Real Madrid Please Stand Up?

It has been a shaky start to the season for Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who have lost more matches since the start of October (3) than they did in the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped them from being the overwhelming favorites in the Union Jack Trixie Bet odds for this weekend’s trip to newly promoted Leganés.

After being held to a 1-1 draw in their LaLiga opener in Mallorca, Los Blancos have since dropped points at Las Palmas and Atlético Madrid and lost at Lille in the Champions League. Having entered El Clásico on the back of three straight wins in all competitions, the reigning Spanish and European champions were subject to a humiliating 4-0 drubbing at the Santiago Bernabéu before following that up with a second straight home defeat as Milan prevailed 3-1, leaving Real in 18th place after four matches in the Champions League standings, level on 6 points with Bayern Munich, Benfica, Milan, Feyenoord, Club Brugge and Atlético Madrid.

Real were able to bounce back in style in their final match before the November international break, with Vinícius Júnior grabbing a hat-trick and Jude Bellingham chipping in with a goal in a 4-0 thrashing of Osasuna in the Spanish capital. Since missing out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri in one of the most surprising last-minute plot-twists in the award’s recent history, Vinícius has responded with a vengeance, racking up four goals in two matches. It’s no wonder with Spanish football bettors are putting their money behind ‘Vini.’

Apart from last month’s defeat to Barcelona, Vinícius has scored in every single match since the start of October, and with a goal contribution in seven of his last eight league matches, the Brazilian forward is one of the most in-form players in world football. Only Robert Lewandowski (14) has found the back of the net with greater regularity in LaLiga than Vinícius (8), who, despite the blockbuster arrival of Kylian Mbappé, continues to prove why he is the poster boy of Real Madrid’s attack.

Whilst Vinícius is hitting his stride in the capital, Mbappé has cooled off. Having scored six goals and one assist in the entire month of September for Real, he’s since scored just one goal and one assist in seven matches. However, he will be well-rested for the upcoming trip to the Butarque after missing out on international duty for the second straight window.

Ancelotti may be looking to rotate ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Liverpool, but with Real’s injury crisis continuing to mount, his hands may very well be tied. It remains to be seen whether or not starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will make the trip to Leganés, but it is clear that both Rodrygo, Lucas Vázquez, David Alaba and Aurélien Tchouaméni will be sidelined for the short to medium term, whilst both Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal will miss the rest of the campaign with ACL injuries.

With only one available center back option, Ancelotti will likely experiment with Real Madrid Castilla academy graduate Raúl Asencio alongside Antonio Rüdiger. With no available right back, he could give 17-year-old Jesús Fortea his senior debut, or he could play Federico Valverde out of position on the right side of defense, with Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modrić and Bellingham slotting into midfield. Brahim Díaz will likely fill in for Rodrygo in attack alongside Mbappé and Vinícius, whilst left back remains a coin-toss between Ferland Mendy and Fran García.

Last season, Real Madrid had to battle past adversity with three starting players in Courtois, Alaba and Militão suffering ACL injuries, and today, they’re going to have to dig deep and push for silverware with several starters already sidelined for the rest of the campaign. However, there is some good news for Real fans — despite scoring 15 fewer goals than their eternal rivals, Los Blancos sit just six points behind Barcelona and have a game in hand on the Blaugranas. Can they finally string together some consistency and put the pressure on Hansi Flick’s side?