Real Madrid are on their way to San Sebastián to take on Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
For the first time in February, Real Madrid secured back-to-back wins after they eliminated Manchester City in the Champions League and then defeated Girona in La Liga. Now, Los Blancos must turn their attention to the Copa del Rey, where they face Real Sociedad in the semifinals.
When the two sides met in La Liga back in September, Real Madrid walked away with a 0–2 victory at Reale Arena thanks to penalties from Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. Now, Los Blancos will look to put in a much more convincing performance five months later.
Carlo Ancelotti gets a major boost with the return of Jude Bellingham. The England international's two-match La Liga ban does not apply to the Copa del Rey. There are some concerns, though, about Mbappé's status after the 26-year-old missed training due to a dental procedure.
Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like against Real Sociedad on Feb. 26.
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Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Real Sociedad (4-2-3-1)
GK: Andriy Lunin—The Ukrainian returns between the posts for Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey.
RB: Lucas Vázquez—There have been rumors of Fede Valverde permanently taking Vázquez's spot on the right flank, but the Spaniard gets the nod for now.
CB: Raúl Asencio—The 21-year-old did not have much to do at the weekend, but he more than proved his worth against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—Expect the center back to return to the XI after David Alaba got the nod against Girona.
LB: Fran García—It is García's turn to start at left back, giving Ferland Mendy a rest ahead of Los Blancos' upcoming match against Real Betis.
DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—Ever since he returned to his natural position, Tchouaméni has been one of Ancelotti's best players. He is the favorite to start in the middle of the park, but Eduardo Camavinga is also in contention.
DM: Dani Ceballos—The Spaniard earned a much-deserved rest at the weekend and returns to the midfield with fresh legs to give Valverde more time to return to full match fitness.
RW: Rodrygo—Rodrygo is set to make his 253rd appearance for Los Blancos at age 24.
AM: Jude Bellingham—The 21-year-old will face Real Sociedad before missing Real Madrid's next two matches due to his La Liga and Champions League suspensions.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—The Brazilian finally broke his goal drought at the weekend and will look to find the back of the net against Real Sociedad for the second time this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Real Sociedad: Copa del Rey.
