Real Madrid kick off their Spanish Super Cup title defense against Mallorca in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It has been a busy six days for Los Blancos. Carlo Ancelotti's side completed a thrilling 1–2 comeback victory against Valencia to go top of La Liga on Jan. 3 and advanced to the Copa del Rey round of 16 after a 0–5 win against Deportiva Minera on Jan. 6. Real Madrid then traveled to Saudi Arabia and now must take on Mallorca in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals.
Despite the quick turnaround, the Spanish giants received two major boosts ahead of the clash. David Alaba returned to the squad for the first time since suffering an ACL injury last season, giving Real Madrid some much-needed defensive depth. Plus, Vinícius Júnior is available to play in the competition after receiving a two-match La Liga ban for his red card against Valencia.
Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Mallorca on Jan. 9.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S REAL MADRID WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Mallorca (4-2-3-1)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—Courtois has only kept two clean sheets in his last seven appearances.
RB: Lucas Vázquez—The Spaniard will wear the captain's armband in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals.
CB: Aurélien Tchouaméni—The Frenchman will continue to fill in at center back until Alaba is ready to start.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—After a much-needed rest on Monday, the Germany international is back in Ancelotti's starting XI.
LB: Ferland Mendy—Mendy must continue improving on the left flank or risk losing his spot to Fran García.
DM: Fede Valverde—The Uruguayan is the only player on Real Madrid to start every fixture this season.
DM: Eduardo Camavinga—Fresh off scoring his first goal of the season, Camavinga should get the nod in the midfield over Dani Ceballos.
RW: Rodrygo—Rodrygo was one of the only attackers fully rested in Los Blancos' Copa del Rey clash with Deportiva Minera. Expect the Brazilian to return to the XI against Mallorca.
AM: Jude Bellingham—The England international stole all three points for Real Madrid against Valencia and is up to eight goals on the season.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—The winger might be suspended for two La Liga matches, but he is free to play in the Spanish Super Cup.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Mbappé is set to lead the line in his Spanish Super Cup debut.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Mallorca: Spanish Super Cup.