Tonight, Real Madrid embarks on the first battle in their quest to reach another Copa del Rey final. Los Blancos face a challenging opponent in Real Sociedad, while Barça and Atlético have already played out the first leg of their semifinal.
Real Madrid will travel to San Sebastián to face Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena in this high-stakes first leg. Their opponent, the txuri-urdin, is not only in excellent form, but also knows what it takes to eliminate Madrid from the Copa del Rey.
Ancelotti Travels to Donostia with Key Absences
Although this Copa del Rey matchup has not been frequent in recent years, it brings back unpleasant memories for Madrid. The last time these two teams met in the competition, during the 2019-20 season, Real Sociedad eliminated Madrid at the Bernabéu in a single-leg quarterfinal.
That chaotic match ended 3-4 in favor of the Basques, knocking Los Blancos out of the tournament. Now, Madrid is determined to get revenge, starting with tonight’s clash at the Reale Arena. However, the task won’t be easy, as Ancelotti will be missing several key players.
While the absences are not due to serious injuries, most of them are precautionary measures ahead of next week’s Champions League first leg against Atlético. Still, Madrid has traveled to San Sebastián without Mbappé, Valverde, and Courtois—three of the most crucial pillars of the team.
These absences open the door for some less frequent starters and several Real Madrid Castilla players, such as Gonzalo García and Chema, who have been included in the squad. Additionally, with Courtois unavailable, Lunin will return to goal for the first time since the last Copa del Rey match against Celta.
On the other hand, Real Sociedad, who have won five consecutive home matches, will be looking to make a statement and take a step closer to the final. Imanol Alguacil has called up all of his key players, ensuring that the txuri-urdin field their strongest possible XI for this crucial semifinal clash.
Official Real Madrid Line-Up
Lunin; Asencio, Tchouameni, Rüdiger, Fran García; Camavinga, Ceballos, Bellingham; Arda Guler; Endrick, Vinicius.