Crisis-hit Real Madrid face Levante in unusual lunchtime kick-off
Arbeloa's men look to bounce back from Supercopa and Copa defeats with Mbappé available for selection against Levante in Saturday's early La Liga clash.
Real Madrid aim to stop the rot after a nightmare week as they host Levante in an unusual 2pm kick-off at the Bernabéu this Saturday.
Troubled times at the Bernabéu
It’s been a proper mare for Los Blancos recently. In just one week, they’ve:
- Lost the Supercopa final to Barcelona
- Changed their manager (with Arbeloa now at the helm)
- Been knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete
The timing couldn’t be worse for Madrid as they desperately need to get back to winning ways and put some pressure on their eternal rivals in the league table. Barcelona face a tricky away trip to Real Sociedad, giving Madrid the perfect opportunity to close the gap.
Team news
The big news is that Kylian Mbappé has made the squad list after recent doubts about his availability. However, it seems the in-form Gonzalo might get the nod in the starting lineup after his impressive scoring streak - the lad’s been on fire with hat-tricks against Betis, Barcelona and Albacete.
Match details
The unusual early kick-off time (2pm Spanish time) means fans will be swapping their pre-match pints for a cuppa tea. The match will be broadcast live on Movistar LaLiga in Spain, with radio coverage on Radio MARCA.
For Madrid, this fixture represents more than just three points - it’s about restoring some pride after a week to forget. The Bernabéu faithful will demand a response, and anything less than a convincing win could see the pressure dial turned up to eleven.
Arbeloa’s men know they need to get their season back on track sharpish, or what started as a blip could turn into a full-blown crisis. As we say in London, it’s time to put up or shut up.