Overview
Real Madrid's eight-match unbeaten streak in all competitions officially ended after a 2-5 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Immediately after that defeat, Los Blancos bounced back with a big win over Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey round of 16 with the same score. However, three of those goals were scored by Real Madrid in extra time.
Taking so long to deal with Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey will have a big impact on Real Madrid's fitness. The upcoming match against Las Palmas will be Los Blancos' third match in six days.
Remember, Real Madrid players also have to travel long distances when the Spanish Super Cup is held in Saudi Arabia.
The physical problem will be a difficult problem for coach Carlo Ancelotti, especially when they have two final crucial matches in the Champions League to decide the ticket to the knockout round.
Of course, Las Palmas are inferior to Real Madrid in every aspect, as the team has lost its last two matches. They were even defeated 0-4 by lower-league Elche in the Copa del Rey.
Las Palmas' player quality is also hard to compare with Real Madrid. Their only advantage is probably their physical strength as they have had a full 7 days off since round 19 of La Liga.
In the first leg, Real Madrid were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Las Palmas. With the return leg at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid will be able to take revenge and win all 3 points. They need to create favorable psychological momentum before facing Salzburg in the Champions League in the middle of next week.
Human resources situation
Ancelotti made a series of personnel changes for the match against Celta Vigo with the aim of keeping the pillars fit. Real's biggest absence at the moment is Vinicius, who will not be able to play due to suspension.
On the other side of the front line, Las Palmas will not have Campana's service, besides Viti's injury.
Expected lineup:
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy, Camavinga, Valverde, Guler, Bellingham, Mbappe, Rodrygo.
Celta Vigo: Cillesen, Herzog, Suarez, McKenna, Marmol, Munoz, Essugo, Rodriguez, Moleiro, Silva, Ramirez.
The match between Real Madrid and Las Palmas takes place at 22:15 on January 19 (Vietnam time).
