La Liga 2026–2027: Valencia vs. Real Madrid, Probable Lineups

Real Madrid visits Valencia at Mestalla in the late game on Saturday, November 7, as part of Matchday 12 of La Liga. This matchup pits two teams with very different goals against each other: the home team is looking for crucial points to move away from the relegation zone, while José Mourinho’s men aim to continue their title run. The gap in the standings is clear. Valencia sits in 19th place with 9 points from 11 matches, while Real Madrid is in third place with 27 points, having played one fewer game than some of its direct competitors. Kickoff is set for 9:00 p.m.

Real Madrid heads into the match after a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander, sealing the win in the first half thanks to goals from Mbappé, Bellingham, and Diomande. For the Blancos, this marks their seventh consecutive victory across all competitions.

Mourinho’s team aims to extend its winning streak and capitalize on the head-to-head matchup between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona to gain ground in the race for the top. The Portuguese coach is also coming off a Champions League match against AEK Athens, in which he acknowledged his opponents’ strengths and the difficulties his team faced.

At Mestalla, Real is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Mbappé is the leading candidate for the center-forward role, though Espi could be an alternative to give him a rest. Behind him, Guler, Bellingham, and Diomande are expected to play, with Bernardo and Tchouameni in midfield. In defense, Valverde is favored over Dumfries.

Probable lineups:

Valencia (4-4-2): Dimitrievski; Maffeo, Tarrega, De Haas, Gaya; Raba, Guido Rodriguez, Pepelu, Rioja; Guerra, Sadiq. Coach: Aguirre.

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Huijsen, Rudiger, Cucurella; Tchouameni, Bernardo; Guler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappé. Head coach: Mourinho.