Real Madrid will look to close the gap with league leaders Barcelona when they take on Racing Santander away from home on Sunday in their next La Liga encounter.
Racing Santander vs Real Madrid – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 1st November.
- Kick-off: 3:15pm BST.
- Venue: Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, Santander.
Racing Santander team news
Racing Santander head into this high-profile home clash missing a vital component of their defensive backline. First-choice left-back Jorge Salinas is officially unavailable for selection after accumulating his fifth yellow card of the domestic season, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.
In his absence, summer signing Aarón Martín is widely anticipated to step into the starting lineup to anchor the left flank. On a more positive note, the hosts boast a fully fit attacking vanguard led by Moroccan striker Yassir Zabiri.
The dangerous frontman, who has been in sensational form with eight goals in just ten appearances this season, is completely cleared to lead the line.
Backed by key creators like Sergio Canales and Iñigo Vicente, the home side fields a robust tactical setup aiming to exploit Real Madrid’s heavily rotated defensive unit.
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid travel to El Sardinero with a heavily altered squad following their recent El Clásico triumph. Manager José Mourinho has officially rested club captain Federico Valverde, leaving him out of the traveling party to ensure a full recovery from a minor muscle injury.
However, the squad receives a massive boost with the return of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is back in contention after missing the Barcelona clash due to illness.
Los Blancos will still be without the services of star forward Vinícius Júnior, who continues to serve the third match of his four-game domestic suspension.
Real Madrid’s defensive and attacking depth remains heavily tested, as Rodrygo continues to nurse a knee injury, defender Raúl Asencio is sidelined with a leg issue, and fullback Ferland Mendy remains completely out of contention for this weekend’s crucial La Liga fixture.
Form
Racing Santander
Racing Santander enter the match in highly encouraging form, looking to establish their top-flight survival. The recently promoted side secured two consecutive victories: a hard-fought 2-1 La Liga triumph over Espanyol and a comfortable 2-0 Copa del Rey win against Ribadesella. Crucially, they remain completely unbeaten in front of their home fans at El Sardinero this season. They hope this home dominance offsets a difficult defensive record that has conceded 26 league goals so far.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid arrive in sensational form, riding an impressive five-game winning streak across all competitions. José Mourinho’s side re-energised their La Liga title challenge with a brilliant 2-1 victory over rivals Barcelona at the Camp Nou in their last outing. During this five-match hot streak, Los Blancos have been imperious, netting 15 goals while securing emphatic wins over RB Leipzig, Sevilla, Roma, and Villarreal to sit third in the table.
Predicted lineups
Racing de Santander: Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Ramon, Belocian, Felipe; Prati, I Martin; A Martin, Canales, Vicente; Zabiri
Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappe
How to watch Racing Santander vs Real Madrid?
To watch the Racing Santander vs Real Madrid match live in the UK, you can tune into Premier Sports 2.
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