Real Madrid will aim to bounce back from a frustrating La Liga defeat when they face Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are determined to book a spot in the semi-finals, but with key injuries and a crucial Madrid derby on the horizon, this clash could be trickier than expected.
📅 Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, 5 February 2025
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Venue: Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganes, Spain
- Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas
- VAR: Daniel Jesus Trujillo Suarez
⚔️ Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches)
- Leganes: 1 win
- Real Madrid: 2 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last Meeting: Leganes 0-3 Real Madrid (24 November 2024 – La Liga)
🔥 Current Form (All Competitions)
Leganes:
- Leganes 0-1 Rayo Vallecano
- Athletic Club 0-0 Leganes
- Leganes 1-0 Atletico Madrid
- Almeria 2-3 Leganes
- Espanyol 1-1 Leganes
Real Madrid:
- Espanyol 1-0 Real Madrid
- Brest 0-3 Real Madrid
- Real Valladolid 0-3 Real Madrid
- Real Madrid 5-1 RB Salzburg
- Real Madrid 4-1 Las Palmas
🚑 Team News
Leganes
- Out: Enrique Franquesa (ACL injury)
- Doubt: Seydouba Cisse (muscle injury, expected to miss out)
- Available: Sergio Gonzalez is available despite his weekend red card, as it doesn’t affect cup matches.
🔑 Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Soriano; Altimira, Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, Cruz; Raba, Neyou, Tapia, Rodriguez; De La Fuente
Real Madrid
- Out:
- Antonio Rudiger (hamstring injury, out for three weeks)
- David Alaba (muscle injury after ACL recovery)
- Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao (long-term absentees)
- Eduardo Camavinga (minor knock, likely to miss out)
- Doubt:
- Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe (both rested due to minor knocks)
With the Madrid derby against Atletico looming, Ancelotti may rotate his squad, providing chances for fringe players.
🔑 Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Lunin; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Valverde, Modric; Brahim, Guler, Rodrygo; Vinicius
⭐ Key Battles to Watch
- Vinicius Jr. vs. Leganes’ Defense
- Vinicius’ pace and flair will be critical in breaking down a compact Leganes backline.
- Rodrygo vs. Sergio Gonzalez
- Rodrygo’s technical skill will test Leganes’ defensive resilience, especially with Gonzalez’s aggressive style.
- Midfield Duel: Luka Modric vs. Renato Tapia
- Modric’s control of the game could decide the tempo, while Tapia will aim to disrupt Madrid’s rhythm.
🔍 Tactical Insights
- Real Madrid will dominate possession, looking to stretch Leganes through wide players like Vinicius and Rodrygo.
- Leganes are expected to defend deep, relying on counter-attacks and set-pieces to create chances.
- Madrid’s defensive vulnerabilities, with key absentees, might give Leganes hope, especially in transition.
💡 Score Prediction
Real Madrid will be eager to bounce back from their shock defeat to Espanyol and maintain momentum ahead of the Madrid derby. Despite injury concerns, their attacking depth should be enough to see off Leganes, even if the hosts make it competitive.
Final Score Prediction:
Leganes 0-2 Real Madrid
Expect Madrid to control the game, with goals likely coming from Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo to seal their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
