Good evening everybody and welcome to another MARCA in English live blog, this time taking you through the Copa del Rey clash between Leganes and Real Madrid at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque.
Carlo Ancelotti‘s men come into the Copa del Rey quarter-final looking to put their 1-0 LaLiga defeat to Espanyol behind them. The loss allowed both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona to close the gap in the league standings.
Real Madrid secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Leganes earlier in the season, with Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham all getting on the scoresheet. But with injuries forcing Ancelotti to rotate his squad, Leganes may sense an opportunity to challenge the 20-time Copa del Rey winners.
Borja Jimenez‘s side have had to navigate a tough route to reach the last eight. They began their cup campaign with a narrow victory over Cuidad de Lucena, followed by a dramatic penalty shootout win against Estepona. A 2-1 triumph over Cartagena set up a round-of-16 clash with Almeria, where they pulled off a thrilling comeback to win 3-2 thanks to a Miguel de la Fuente penalty and a late Diego Garcia goal.
Leganes also enjoyed a solid five-game unbeaten run across all competitions, securing a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid and holding Athletic Club to a 0-0 draw at San Mames. However, their momentum took a hit last weekend when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, with Sergio Gonzalez receiving a red card. Despite that setback, they will be drawing inspiration from their famous 2017-18 Copa del Rey quarter-final victory over Real Madrid, where they advanced on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
Real Madrid‘s journey in this year’s competition started with a commanding 5-0 win over Deportivo Minera before they needed extra time to defeat Celta Vigo 5-2 in the previous round. However, they enter this fixture with several key players unavailable due to injury.
Leganes vs Real Madrid LIVE: Latest updates
Leganes vs Real Madrid possible teams
Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and Eduardo Camavinga remain sidelined, while Antonio Rudiger is facing at least three weeks out after sustaining a hamstring issue against Espanyol. David Alaba is also unavailable, and Ancelotti confirmed that Mbappe and Bellingham will not be fit to feature.
These absences will force Madrid to rotate, with opportunities expected for Raul Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric, Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Endrick.
Sergio Gonzalez will play despite his recent red card, with his suspension applying only to LaLiga fixtures. Seydouba Cisse is sidelined with a hamstring injury, joining Enrique Franquesa, who is recovering from an ACL injury. Renato Tapia is expected to start in midfield.
Leganes Possible XI: Soriano; Altimira, Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, Cruz; Raba, Neyou, Tapia, Rodriguez; De La Fuente
Real Madrid Possible XI: Lunin; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Valverde, Modric; Guler, Brahim, Vinicius; Endrick
Where to watch Leganes vs Real Madrid?
For football fans eager to catch the Copa del Rey clash between Leganes and Real Madrid, the match will be accessible through different channels in the USA and the UK.
In the United States, viewers can tune in to ESPN+, which holds exclusive broadcasting rights for the Copa del Rey matches. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the match will not be available on TV.
What time does Leganes vs Real Madrid start?
The eagerly anticipated Copa del Rey match between Leganes and Real Madrid is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 CET local time in Spain.
Viewers on the US East Coast can tune in at 15:00 ET for the live action. For those on the West Coast, the match starts at 12:00 PT.
Soccer enthusiasts in the UK can catch the game starting at 20:00 GMT.
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