Valencia vs Real Madrid: Match Preview and Team Updates

Valencia faces Real Madrid at Mestalla on Sunday night in La Liga.

Real Madrid comes into the match second in La Liga with 54 points from 22 games, only four points behind Barcelona, having one game in hand. Valencia is currently in 16th place with 23 points, just one point above the relegation zone.

Match Preview and Team News

• Date: Sunday, 8th February.
• Kick-off: 8pm BST.
• Venue: Estadio de Mestalla, Valencia.

Valencia Team News

Valencia has several absentees. Backup goalkeeper Cristian Rivero is suspended, and centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby is out with a hamstring injury.

First-choice goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala is also injured, which means Stole Dimitrievski is likely to start in goal after recovering from an adductor problem that kept him out since December.

Right-back Thierry Correia is uncertain due to a hamstring issue, so Dimitri Foulquier may continue at full-back despite recent fitness issues.

Valencia has relied on Hugo Duro, who has scored seven La Liga goals this season, to lead the attack alongside Lucas Beltrán.

Real Madrid Team News

Real Madrid arrives at Mestalla with key players unavailable due to injuries and suspensions.

Jude Bellingham is out with a hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined for about a month, while centre-back Eder Militao is also injured.

Rodrygo has a hamstring injury and will miss this match, with Real Madrid’s medical team stating he will be out for at least ten days.

Vinicius Junior is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, limiting Alvaro Arbeloa’s attacking options following tough previous matches.

Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy are also unavailable, leaving Real Madrid short in defense.

The bright side for Arbeloa is the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is available for selection after a thigh issue and could start at right-back.

Form

Valencia

Valencia enters this match after losing 2-1 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals to Athletic Club and a 2-1 La Liga defeat to Real Betis.

Before that, they had three consecutive wins across all competitions against Espanyol, Getafe, and Burgos. They have earned 17 of their 23 league points this season at Mestalla, where they haven’t lost a La Liga match since October.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid has won their last six La Liga matches and aims for a seventh consecutive win, keeping them in the title race behind Barcelona.

In their last five games in all competitions, they have secured four victories, including wins over Villarreal, Levante, and Rayo Vallecano, plus a 6-1 win against Monaco. The only loss was a 4-2 defeat to Benfica in the Champions League.

Predicted Lineups

Valencia: Dimitrievski; Foulquier, Comert, Copete, Gaya; Rioja, Urginic, Pepelu, Danjuma; Beltrán, Duro

Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Brahim

How to Watch Valencia vs Real Madrid

The match will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1 in the UK.

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