Real Madrid hosts Sevilla FC at the Santiago Bernabéu on matchday 9 of LaLiga, with kickoff scheduled for 21.00 hours on Sunday. Real Madrid enters the fixture holding a four-point advantage over their visitors, backed by a flawless home record at the Bernabéu. Meanwhile, Sevilla arrives looking to reverse a two-match winless run while preserving their undefeated away record for the season.
Bernabéu Fortitude Meets Unbeaten Away Form
Real Madrid has secured five wins from five home matches so far this season, defeating Real Sociedad 4-1, Málaga 4-0, Rayo Vallecano 4-1, and Villarreal 1-0 in LaLiga, alongside a 2-1 Champions League victory against Inter. On the other side, Sevilla travels to the capital following a 3-3 draw against Levante on Monday. Despite that shared points result, Sevilla remains unbeaten on their travels, having earned victories at Athletic (1-3) and Deportivo (0-1), alongside a draw at Espanyol (1-1), in addition to the draw in the Ciutat de Valencia.
Squad Absences and Managerial Pressers
Both sides contend with significant roster attrition ahead of the fixture. Real Madrid manager José Mourinho will be without Vinicius, who serves the first of a four-match suspension against Sevilla, alongside injured players Asencio and Rodrygo. However, central defender Huijsen returns to the squad following a suspension. Mendy and Militao have returned to group training, though only the Brazilian defender earned a place in the matchday squad. «The team is tired, but tomorrow they will not be. Tomorrow is another day and we will be well. We also have very good options in case we want to make some changes and give freshness to the team,» Mourinho said during his pre-match press conference.
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Sevilla manager Luis García Plaza faces an escalating injury list that rules out Marcao, Miguel Sierra, and Guridi, while striker Isaac is suspended following a red card received last jornada. Lucas Stassin returns to the squad for the visitors. «The difficulty of the match is high, none of the best Sevilla teams, Europa League winners, have managed to get a good result. I’m going to repeat that to them. We intend to compete and see if we can score points,» García Plaza told reporters.
Probable Starting Lineups and Tactical Adjustments
Mourinho indicated that rotation is likely following last Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Roma, with Trent, Huijsen, and Arda Güler expected to feature from the opening whistle. Real Madrid’s probable starting XI features Courtois in goal; Trent, Konaté, Huijsen, and Cucurella across the back; Arda Güler and Tchouameni in midfield; with Valverde, Bellingham, Diomande, and Mbappé completing the attacking structure.
For Sevilla, García Plaza is projected to make only a single change from the side that faced Levante, inserting Alfon on the right wing to cover for the injured Miguel Sierra. Sevilla’s probable lineup lists Vlachodimos in goal; Iglesias, Castrín, Kike Salas, and Suazo in defense; Agoumé, Fofana, and Peque in midfield; with Alfon, Félix Correia, and Robbie Ure leading the attack.
Matchday Schedule and Standings Context
The fixture at the Santiago Bernabéu kicks off at 21.00 hours on Sunday. Real Madrid sits higher in the LaLiga table with a four-point cushion over the Andalusian club, making Sunday’s encounter a vital test for Sevilla’s aspirations to maintain their unbeaten away run against a Madrid side that has yet to drop points on home soil this season.
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