Real Madrid vs Eibar: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat since the return of Zinedine Zidane on Wednesday and will seek to respond against Eibar at the Bernabeu.

A trip to Valencia always promised to be a tricky affair but Los Blancos disappointed in a 2-1 reverse , with Karim Benzema’s stoppage-time strike a mere consolation.

If they are to overhaul Atletico Madrid into second place, they cannot afford such slips and will expect three points at the weekend against opponents safely anchored in the middle of the table, but who won 3-0 when they met earlier this season.

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).

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Copa del Rey

Albacete

ALB

14 Jan 202615:00

Real Madrid

RMA

Segunda Division

Granada

GRA

19 Jan 202614:30

Eibar

EIB

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be streamed via Eleven Sports 1.

Marcelo misses this match due to suspension and Zinedine Zidane still cannot select the injured Vinicius Junior.

Marcos Llorente, Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal are all missing for this game.

Gareth Bale and Isco are back in the starting XI, while Toni Kroos and Casemiro take their place on the bench.

Confirmed Real Madrid starting XI: Navas, Odriozola, Varane, Nacho, Reguilon, Modric, Valverde, Isco, Bale, Benzema, Asensio.

Eibar have few selection headaches for their trip to the Spanish capital. Papakouli Diop is banned and Anaitz Arbilla is injured, however.

Confirmed Eibar starting XI: Dmitrovi, De Blasis, Ramis, Paulo Oliveira, Cote, Pedro León, Escalante, Sergio Alvarez, Joan Jordan, Cucurella, Sergi Enrich.

Real Madrid are 1/4 favourites to get back to winning ways with bet365 . Eibar are priced at a distant 11/1, while a draw is 5/1.

Click here to see all of bet 365's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is worried that his squad are simply playing out time in the 2018/19 season.

They are 13 points behind league leaders Barcelona but comfortably ensconced in the top four, the side from the capital have little to play for in the final two months of the campaign, having also been knocked out of the Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Even before Wednesday’s loss in Valencia, Zidane had voiced concerns that there was a lack of drive in the team and after that 2-1 defeat he reiterated his concerns.

“It's true that, maybe in these games we lack some motivation,” he said. “But these players are professionals and when they put on the shirt of this team they know they have to go for it and they do it.”

The loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus is a blow that Madrid never really seem to have overcome this year and while significant summer spending seems to grow more inevitable with each setback, Zidane has argued that his players are not fighting for their spots on the roster.

“This is not an exam at all because these people are Real Madrid players,” he said. “We are going through a complicated moment. We must also live the bad moments, it will not change anything.”

The players, however, are aware that things cannot go on as they are with  Casemiro recently admitting that something is “not right” after the Valencia match.

“Real Madrid have to be at their best in every single training session and every single game,” he added. “We have to improve.

“We have a game at home against Eibar on Saturday - we've got to think about that game. We know it's a tough moment, but we count on the fans.

“We know it's not easy for us right now, but we're working hard to come back next year. Madrid always come back.”

Eibar lie 10 points clear of the drop zone with eight matches remaining, and while their 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in midweek seemed to seal their place in the top flight next season, head coach Jose Luis Medilibar wants his team to keep fighting.

“We can’t think that we’ve already secured our safety, the work is not finished and we should not stop,” he said after the victory, which was sealed by Pedro Leon’s first goal in 724 days. “We have to finish as high as possible.”

And he refuses to write off the weekend’s trip to the Bernabeu as a lost cause.

“Just now, I don’t know what teams are the most difficult to play, those above or below us, and you don’t know who you might be able to add three points against,” he bullishly stated.

After beating Madrid 3-0 already this season, he has every reason to be confident.