Valencia Can Heap More Pressure on Zidane
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The big match in La Liga this weekend sees Valencia host Real Madrid at the Estadio de Mestalla. This match has huge repercussions at the top of the league table but could also have an impact on the future of Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane.
Valencia come into this match sitting 3rd in La Liga and have 40 points from their 20 matches played. This leaves them well off the pace set by Barcelona at the top but just 3 points behind second place Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid start the game in the unusual position of 4th in La Liga and are 5 points adrift of Valencia. A win would not lift them above their opponents but a defeat would see them fall 8 points behind, which is unthinkable for the club.
Valencia come into this match having sealed their place in the Copa del Rey semi-final thanks to a penalty shootout victory at Deportivo Alaves. Valencia lost the second leg 2-1 and that means they have lost their last two matches in all competitions 2-1, with the first coming at Las Palmas last weekend.
Trends show Valencia have lost just four games in La Liga this season but three of those defeats have come in their last five games. One of those three defeats came at home against Villarreal and is their only loss at home this season.
Valencia have won six of their last eight home La Liga games and have lost just four of the last twenty-four at the Mestalla.
Real Madrid travel to Valencia on the back of a humiliating 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Leganes in the Copa del Rey. That result means they have been eliminated from the competition at the quarter-final stage.
Having defeated Deportivo La Coruna 7-1 in La Liga last weekend, Real Madrid were hoping to make a return to their best form but were brought back down to earth with a bump.
Trends show Real Madrid have won only two of their last six La Liga games and just one of the last four. There have been defeats at home to Barcelona and Villarreal plus a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.
Real Madrid have failed to win in their last four away league games, drawing three and losing one. However, the defeat at Girona is their only away defeat in their last seventeen league games on the road. The last team to beat them prior to the loss at Girona was Valencia.
Team news and Valencia are set to be without central defender Jeison Murillo and right-midfielder Carlos Soler due to injury. Gabriel Paulista and Ruben Vezo are suspended, leaving Valencia a little short at the back.
Real Madrid will be without the injured duo of midfielder Dani Ceballos and defender Jesus Vallejo. Expect Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Keylor Navas to come back into the starting XI having missed out in mid-week.
With several key players having rested in mid-week and Valencia struggling in defence with injuries and suspensions, this could be the match which sees Real Madrid return to winning ways on the road in La Liga.
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