The mood at the Santiago Bernabéu is anything but celebratory tonight. Real Madrid welcomes Deportivo Alavés for their Matchweek 33 clash, and the pressure on Alvaro Arbeloa has reached a boiling point. After being dumped out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich and falling a staggering nine points behind Barcelona in the title race, tonight is about more than just points—it’s about pride and job security.
Madrid’s recent form is a major cause for concern. They haven’t tasted victory in their last two league outings, including a frustrating 1-1 home draw against Girona. The defense, in particular, has looked like a sieve; Los Blancos have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven straight matches, with stand-in keeper Andriy Lunin still searching for his first shutout of the season.
Team News: Defensive Shake-up Imminent
Arbeloa is expected to rotate his squad to manage fatigue and long-term fitness. While Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo remain sidelined, club captain Dani Carvajal and young defender Dean Huijsen are tipped to return to the starting XI after missing out in Munich. Aurélien Tchouaméni is also back from suspension, which should provide some much-needed steel in front of a shaky backline.
Up front, the spotlight remains on Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman is currently leading the race for the Pichichi Trophy with 23 goals, and he’ll be hungry to put some distance between himself and the chasing pack against a bottom-half side.
The Alavés Threat
Don’t expect Quique Sánchez Flores’ men to roll over. Alavés arrives in Madrid fighting for their lives, sitting just outside the relegation zone in 17th. They are surprisingly unbeaten in their last four outings, a run that has seen them score a whopping ten goals. Their latest result—a wild 3-3 draw—proves they have the offensive firepower to hurt a Madrid team that is clearly struggling for confidence.
History favors the hosts—Madrid has won their last eight meetings against the Basque side—but with the Bernabéu faithful becoming increasingly restless, an early goal for Alavés could turn the stadium into a pressure cooker.
