There will be a familiar face at Real Madrid on Saturday, as the Real Valladolid side owned by Zinedine Zidane's old team-mate Ronaldo travel to Santiago Bernabeu for the second game of the season.
Madrid got off to a good start with a 3-1 away win at Celta Vigo last week, though Luka Modric's red card means he won't be available for this game.
The visitors also started with a win, Oscar Plano netting in the last minute to sink a Real Betis side reduced to ten men after just eight minutes.
| Game | Real Madrid vs Real Valladolid |
| Date | Saturday, August 24 |
| Time | 6:00pm BST / 1:00pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN Sports / beIN Sports en Espanol | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
The match is not available to be watched in the United Kingdom (UK).
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Real Madrid squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Courtois, Navas |
| Defenders | Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Marcelo, Militao, Nacho, Odriozola, Mendy |
| Midfielders | Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Isco, Valverde, Rodriguez, Asensio |
| Forwards | Benzema, Jovic, Hazard, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bale, Vazquez, Mariano, Diaz |
Summer signings Eden Hazard and Ferland Mendy are still out injured, while Modric is missing after being sent off last weekend.
Modric's suspension means Zidane has a decision to make in midfield, with Isco the player most likely to benefit from his absence.
Confirmed Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; James, Casemiro, Kroos; Isco, Benzema, Bale.
| Position | Real Valladolid squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Masip, Lunin |
| Defenders | Moyano, Porro, Barba, Olivas, Sanchez, Antonito, Nacho, Fernandez, Salisu |
| Midfielders | Michel, Luismi, Tuhami, Hervias, Alcaraz, Aguado, Emeterio, Villa, Hacen |
| Forwards | Guardiola, Unal, Plano, Ramirez, Rubio, de Frutos, Plaza |
Sergio Gonzalez has three players on loan from Madrid, who could play - goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, defender Javi Sanchez and forward Jorge de Frutos.
Sandro Ramirez, on loan from Everton, picked up a muscle problem last weekend and is not likely to feature, with Enes Unal and Sergi Guardiola - no relation to Pep - expected to lead the line.
Confirmed Real Valladolid starting XI: Masip, Moyano, Kiko Olivas, Salisu, Martinez, Porro, San Emeterio, Herrero, Oscar Plano, Unal, Sergi Guardiola
Betting & Match Odds
Real Madrid are heavy 1/5 favourites to win this match with bet365. Valladolid are on offer at 12/1, while the draw is available at 6/1.
Match Preview
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Things are rarely peaceful in the white half of Madrid, but the summer of 2019 has been eventful even by their standards.
A swathe of new, world-class players. Two old, world-class players they just can't quite seem to get rid of. The Neymar circus trying its best to make its way into town. Sometimes, perhaps just once a week, it is a welcome distraction to be able to focus on football.
Despite their tumultous pre-season, Madrid started the campaign promisingly against Celta Vigo, particularly in attack - no other side in La Liga got close to their 11 shots on target, with the likes of Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard still to establish themselves in the starting eleven.
With Barcelona not playing until Sunday, there is also the chance to seize a small psychological advantage. Win, and Madrid would be six points clear of their rivals for at least 24 hours.
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In his pre-match press conference, Zinedine Zidane said he is looking forward to the transfer window finally closing, so he can focus on coaching his side.
"We've got tomorrow's game and you know that I'm only thinking about what we're going to do tomorrow," he said.
"That's the only thing that we have to think about and nothing else. The players that I have here and those that I've got and we've got a game tomorrow and, as always, until September 2 anything can happen.
"That's the same at every club, players can come in and others leave. I can't wait for the second to come around so that I don't get asked these questions. We're just focusing on tomorrow's game and want to put in a good performance".
After flirting with relegation last season, Valladolid will have been happy to get points on the board against Real Betis last week. While they may have been given some assistance by Joel Robles' early red card, Oscar Plano's late winner will have provided a useful boost as the new season clicks into gear.
Having lost defender Fernando Calero to Espanyol, manager Sergio Gonzalez was only able to bring in one permanent signing over the summer in Pablo Hervias, the wideman signed from Eibar.
Ronaldo's links to Madrid have proven useful with a trio of loan signings, but survival is the target for the season once again. An unexpected point or three at the Bernabeu would be a useful step toward that goal.
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