Talavera v Actual Madrid preview
Xabi Alonso says Actual Madrid are mentally able to face Talavera on the 4,200-capacity Estadio El Prado within the final 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
“We all know that the cup is a particular competitors,” mentioned Alonso, whose facet gained for the second time in six Liga matches with a 2-1 victory at Alaves on Sunday.
“It offers you the chance to play towards groups you’ve by no means performed earlier than. Nevertheless it’s additionally a contest by which there are large surprises, and we go into the sport with respect and preparation.
“The situations are a bit completely different to those we often play in. Getting ready for it with the required professionalism, seriousness and angle goes to be elementary.”
Based as a fifth-tier staff in 2011 after the merger of CF Talavera and Actual Talavera, the hosts have spent six seasons within the fourth tier and eight within the third since then.
Talavera gained promotion final season to the upper tier, by which they’re second-bottom after successful 4 and dropping 9 of their first 16 league matches of the season.
Argentinian supervisor Alejandro Sandroni expects the sport to be “tremendously lengthy” for his staff and says they’ll “method it in 10-minute increments”.
“One of many rules I’ve at all times had is to not deceive the gamers,” mentioned Sandroni, who ended greater than a yr out of the sport by taking cost on December 2.
“It’s very uncommon for me to lie – to [the media], generally, however by no means to the gamers. The [opposition] gamers, I’ve informed them, are superior in all the pieces – not simply bodily, tactically or technically – by mild years.
“As a staff, there’s one factor we’re perhaps above them in, which is ardour. And fervour strikes mountains, so let’s see how far our ardour takes us.”
Talavera v Actual Madrid staff information
Madrid defenders David Alaba, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Trent Alexander-Arnold are injured, however left-backs Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras and ahead Endrick can be found following suspensions.
Centre-back Antonio Rudiger, midfielders Dani Ceballos and Federico Valverde and Liga prime scorer Kylian Mbappe have minor points, whereas reviews in Spain counsel ahead Vinicius Junior might be rested. Midfielder Thiago Pitarch, 18, might make his full debut.
Winger Valen Gomez is suspended for Talavera after being despatched off within the ninety fifth minute of their 2-1 dwelling win over second division facet Malaga a day after Sandroni was appointed.
Talavera are with out former Morocco youth worldwide Bilal Ouacharaf as a result of the right-back has a hamstring drawback.
Talavera v Madrid predicted beginning lineups
Talavera beginning XI: Jaime Gonzalez, Edu Gallardo, Alvaro Lopez, Sergi Molina, Luis Sanchez David Cuenca, Sergio Montero, Pitu Doncel, Pedro Capo, Nahuel Arroyo, Gonzalo Di Renzo
Actual Madrid beginning XI: Andriy Lunin, Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, Franco Mastantuono, Fran Garcia, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Gonzalo Garcia, Arda Guler
How you can watch Talavera v Madrid: TV channel, dwell on-line stream
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with dwell protection within the UK on Premier Sports activities 1 and streaming accessible on an unlimited vary of gadgets through the Premier Sports activities app.
A Premier Sports subscription prices £120 a yr, £11.99 monthly on a 12-month contract or £16.99 monthly with 30 days’ cancellation discover required.
Talavera v Actual Madrid stats
- Sandroni has gained each of his dwelling matches since being appointed, together with a 2-1 comeback victory on Sunday towards a Merida facet who had been 12 factors above Talavera
- Talavera’s different match on this season’s Copa del Rey was a 4-1 win at fourth-tier Rayo Majadahonda on October 28
- Ahead Gonzalo Di Renzo scored twice in that sport as a part of a run of 4 targets and an help within the Argentinian’s first 10 appearances of the marketing campaign, though he has not been straight concerned in a objective since
- Alongside Di Renzo, defender David Cuenca is Talavera’s prime scorer this season on three targets
- The minnows have reached this stage of the competitors as soon as earlier than, dropping after additional time to Cartagena – additionally within the third tier on the time – in 2017/18
- With 20 titles, Madrid are the third-most profitable staff in Copa del Rey historical past behind Athletic Membership (24) and Barcelona (32)
- They’ve misplaced probably the most finals (21), forward of Athletic Membership (16) and Barca (11)
- The Copa del Rey was the one competitors Alonso gained twice throughout his time in Madrid’s midfield between 2009 and 2014, enjoying all through their wins over Barcelona within the 2011 and 2014 finals
- Madrid have gained away to lower-league opponents within the competitors in 4 successive seasons since dropping after additional time at third-tier Alcoyano at this stage in 2020/21, beating fourth-tier groups on every event
- Los Blancos have probably the most factors and factors per sport away on this season’s Liga (W6 D3 L1) and have gained two and misplaced one in every of their matches on the street within the 2025/26 Champions League.
Talavera v Actual Madrid prediction
Talavera
1
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3
Actual Madrid
Actual Madrid haven’t at all times been convincing on these current visits to sizeable underdogs however one other win is crucial for under-pressure Alonso’s facet, who play their remaining match of the calendar yr at dwelling to ninth-placed Sevilla on Saturday.
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