If Real Madrid wants to extend its unbeaten streak to 39 La Liga matches, Los Blancos will have to defeat Alavés without some of its key starters.
Carlo Ancelotti's men have recovered from their slow La Liga start. After only collecting five points in its opening three matches, Real Madrid has not dropped any points in September. In fact, Los Blancos are coming off their best performance of the early 2024–25 season; the defending Spanish champions defeated Espanyol 4–1, and Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé finally all got on the scoresheet in the same match.
Three days later, Real Madrid must host Alavés with a depleted squad. Dani Carvajal is unavailable after picking up a knock at the weekend and Jude Bellingham's shoulder injury flared up, leaving the England international a doubt to play significant minutes. Once again, Ancelotti will have to rotate his players, especially with the Madrid derby swiftly approaching on Sunday.
Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Alavés.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Alavés (4-3-3)
GK: Thibaut Courtois – The goalkeeper will look to bounce back against Alavés after an uncharacteristic blunder handed Espanyol its only goal on Saturday.
RB: Lucas Vázquez – The Spaniard will get the nod in the absence of Carvajal and hope to put in a better performance on the right flank than he did against Stuttgart in the Champions League.
CB: Éder Militão – Militão continues to be one of the most trusted and reliable players in Ancelotti's squad. Should Real Madrid secure a comfortable lead, expect 19-year-old Jacobo Ramón to get some minutes to give the Brazilian a slight reprieve ahead of the Madrid derby.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger – After only playing six minutes against Espanyol at the weekend, a well-rested Rüdiger will return to the backline.
LB: Ferland Mendy – Fresh off extending his contract with Los Blancos to 2027, Mendy will start at left-back after having the night off on Saturday.
CM: Federico Valverde – If anyone on Real Madrid deserves a rest, it's Valverde; the Uruguayan has played every minute for Los Blancos this season. He is too important to sit, though, especially if Bellingham is unfit to play.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni – Free from his duties at center-back, Tchouaméni is expected to return to the midfield against Alavés.
CM: Arda Güler – The 19-year-old impresses every time he comes on the pitch and could make his second consecutive start if Ancelotti does not want to risk Bellingham.
RW: Endrick – As Ancelotti continues to rotate his players, Endrick earned a start up top after scoring two goals and winning a penalty in his 26 total minutes on the pitch this season.
ST: Kylian Mbappé – After a slow start, Mbappé is slowly finding his form for Los Blancos. The Frenchman has five goals in his last four appearances.
LW: Vinícius Júnior – Expect the Brazilian to return to the starting XI after only playing 35 minutes last match. Vinícius Jr. comes into Real Madrid's mid-week fixture with three goals and two assists in La Liga.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Alaves – La Liga.