Real Madrid will be readying for life without star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, after the Portugal international made a blockbuster move to Juventus earlier in the summer.
Julen Lopetegui will open his Liga account with the European champions with a home game against Getafe on Sunday, and will hope that his team will be able to bounce back following a loss in the UEFA Super Cup to rivals Atletico Madrid.
Certain members of his squad – such as Luka Modric – are still on their way back to full fitness following their World Cup duties, while the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema will be expected to step up following the sale of Ronaldo.
New goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is also in contention to make his debut for Real Madrid following his move from Chelsea.
| Game | Real Madrid vs Getafe |
| Date | Sunday, August 19 |
| Time | 9.15pm BST / 4.15pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on beIN SPORTS and streamed on beIN SPORTS Connect.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN SPORTS | beIN SPORTS Connect |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be shown and live-streamed on Eleven Sports.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Eleven Sports | Eleven Sports |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Real Madrid players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Navas, Casilla, Courtois, Lunin |
| Defenders | Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Nacho, Reguilon, Sanchez |
| Midfielders | Kroos, Casemiro, Modric, M. Llorente, Ceballos, Valverde |
| Forwards | Benzema, Bale, Asensio, Vazquez, Mayoral, Vinicius Jr |
Midfielder Casemiro was forced off the pitch during Madrid's Super Cup loss, meaning that Dani Ceballos comes into midfield. Karim Benzema leads the line following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
New signing Thibaut Courtois is on the bench with Lopetegui giving Keylor Navas another chance in goal. Nacho is chosen in defence ahead of Raphael Varane, while Luka Modric is not fit enough to start.
Real Madrid XI: Navas: Carvajal, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Ceballos, Isco: Bale, Benzema, Asensio.
| Position | Getafe players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Chichizola, Soria, Yanez |
| Defenders | Alanis, Djene, Antunes, Bruno, Cabrera, Miquel, Suarez |
| Midfielders | Bergara, Portillo, Shibasaki, Ibanez, Arambarri, Molina, Maksimovic |
| Forwards | Mata, Angel, Diedhiou, Ndockyt, Guardiola, Alejo |
David Soria starts in goal having joined Getafe from Sevilla earler in the summer, while Mauro Arambarri returns to the side after spending time on the sidlines through injury.
The game against Real Madrid also sees Nemanja Maksimovic make an appearance, following his move from Valencia.
Potential Getafe XI: Soria; Damian, Bruno, Djene, Cabrera; Portillo, Arambarri, Gaku, Maksimovic, Amath; Molina
Betting & Match Odds
Real Madrid are priced at odds of 2/11 to take the win, as priced by bet 365, while a draw is available at 6/1. A win for Getafe is priced at 14/1.
Match Preview
Getty Images
Real Madrid lost 4-2 to their local rivals Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup, with goalkeeper Keylor Navas conceding a goal from Diego Costa inside 49 seconds.
Courtois was not involved in the Super Cup clash but is expected to make his debut sooner rather than later.
Sergio Ramos had his side ahead from the penalty spot before Costa's second goal forced extra time in the Estonian capital, and then Saul Niguez and Koke sealed the victory to retain full bragging rights across Madrid.
Lopetegui will be under pressure to challenge Liga holders Barcelona for the title after finishing in third last season, and even winning the Champions League for the third consecutive time was not enough to keep Ronaldo and former manager Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu.
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