Real Madrid are set to face Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on February 2. However, the club’s fans are not pleased with Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to leave Rodrygo Goes out of the starting lineup.
The versatile forward has been key to Los Blancos’ attack this season, having racked up an impressive four goals and five assists in 16 league games. He has also been remarkable in the UEFA Champions League, where he has garnered three goals and one assist in six appearances.
However, with Madrid chasing the title, Ancelotti has opted to leave Rodrygo on the bench against Valencia. The Merengues are eight points behind league leaders Barcelona.
Ahead of the game, Real Madrid fans took to Twitter to share their displeasure at the decision to bench Rodrygo. Here is a selection of their tweets:
Real Madrid prepare to take on Valencia
Real Madrid will look to return to their winning ways when they face Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Thursday night.
They are yet to suffer a single defeat at home this season, making them one of only two La Liga sides with this record. Meanwhile, Valencia have won just one out of their eight away matches in the league so far, putting them at a disadvantage in comparison.
Despite being one of the strongest teams in Spain, Los Blancos have recently experienced a slight dip in form. They have dropped points in four out of their last seven league matches. Their first league game in 2023 ended in a 2-1 loss against Villarreal, but they quickly bounced back with a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao.
Unfortunately, they were unable to continue winning and had to settle for a goalless draw against Real Sociedad in their most recent match.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be determined to keep snatching as many points as possible as the season progresses. They will be confident of securing a win against Valencia. This confidence is bolstered by their recent victory over Valencia in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup.
Real Madrid have an impressive record against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, having won 11 and drawn five of their last 16 matches. The last time Valencia emerged victorious from the stadium was a 3-2 win back in March 2008. A brace from David Villa was enough to secure the win for Los Che back then.