Real Madrid vs. Valencia: La Liga Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

When Real Madrid host Valencia to Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon, they will be looking to register their fourth consecutive La Liga victory.

In La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti's team is in second place, three points behind champions Barcelona; Valencia are in fifteenth place, four points above the drop zone; and Los Che have gone undefeated in their previous four matches.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Real Madrid's schedule is jam-packed with matches; the Spanish giants hardly had time to reflect after Tuesday night's thrilling second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad.

Eight goals were scored in front of Bernabeu's faithful as the two teams played to a 4-4 tie. Real Madrid advanced to the finals by virtue of a 5-4 aggregate victory; they will face Barcelona in the competition's finale at the end of April.

At this juncture in the La Liga season, Ancelotti's squad can't afford to lose focus. Barcelona is presently in first place, three points ahead of their competitors.

This season, the two best teams in Spain are competing for not just La Liga and the Copa del Rey but also the Champions League and the European Cup. Real Madrid will host Arsenal in the first leg of the quarterfinal next week.

The incumbent champions will be looking to complete a La Liga double against Valencia, having won 2-1 in the season opener at Mestalla. Their most recent La Liga victory was a 3-2 victory over Leganes, in which the hosts survived a scare to come out on top.

For their part, Real Madrid have not been defeated by Valencia in La Liga since March 2008, and the last time that happened was in August 2017 when the two teams played to a 2-2 tie.

Nevertheless, Carlos Corberan's squad will have had more time to rest and recharge before this match. Valencia last played on March 30, winning 1-0 against Mallorca in front of their home crowd.

Los Che is now in 15th place in the league, four points above the relegation zone, thanks to an eight-point run in their previous four league matches; yet, they still have a long way to go before they can be considered a legitimate title contender.

With 24 points from 15 home matches this season, Valencia is in seventh place in the league. However, they have had a terrible time on the road, collecting only seven points from fourteen games and losing every one of them.

In the latter weeks of the season, the six-time Spanish champions' home record will be vital to their survival aspirations; they haven't been demoted from the top division since 1986, which shows how much is at stake.

Real Madrid x Valencia Team News

Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid's custodian, will not be eligible for selection this weekend due to a more serious physical injury; nevertheless, he should be able to play in the Champions League match against Arsenal.

It follows that Real Madrid's custodian Andriy Lunin would keep playing despite a minor calf injury.

While Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are out with significant knee injuries, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos are expected to be ready to face Arsenal on Saturday.

Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger are set to make a triumphant comeback to the starting lineup that took on Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey. At the same time, Fran Garcia is likely to be handed the starting nod at left back.

Regarding Valencia, Thierry Correia and Cristian Rivero are all out with injuries. At the same time, Dimitri Foulquier, Jose Gaya, and Luis Rioja are all suspended and will not be able to play in the match in Madrid.

So, head coach Corberan's starting lineup from last time out's home win against Mallorca needs three changes.

Due to the away team's defensive absences, Yarek Gasiorowski—who is supposedly on Real Madrid's radar—is expected to start at left-back, with Jesus Vazquez and Fran Perez also being considered for starts.

Our predictions

Real Madrid to win & Over 2.5 goals @ 1.67 on Sky247.ng

Although Valencia is currently on a roll, their road woes make it hard to choose a winner. Real Madrid has been off as of late, but we still think the home team can pull off a crucial victory on Saturday.

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