Real Madrid continue their preseason training and will face Leganés at Valdebebas after playing against Alcorcón. Real Madrid crushes Barcelona and Manchester City in shirt sponsorships: becoming world leader with 260 million annually
Real Madrid enters its third week of preseason training with its second friendly against Leganés (Tuesday, July 28, 6:00 PM) at the Valdebebas training complex. As with the match against Alcorcón (1-0) , the game will be open to the media for a period of time and can be followed on Realmadrid TV. This will be the perfect opportunity for José Mourinho to continue experimenting with his system, where Arda Güler will once again be key . The manager is also considering pairing Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield, who will join the Turkish midfielder in the search for a second victory this preseason.
In reality, Real Madrid’s match against Leganés is a training game, just as it was against the pottery makers, so it will be another testing ground for Mourinho, who continues to face significant absences due to the international players who participated in the World Cup and have therefore not yet rejoined the squad. With players like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Marc Cucurella unavailable, Real Madrid will try to rely on the available stars to try and surprise the Cucumber Growers (Leganés’ nickname) . Among them, ‘The Special One’ will combine first-team players with youth academy graduates. Andriy Lunin, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Álvaro Carreras, among others, have a good chance of starting.
Real Madrid concluded Monday’s training session with extensive mobility work and possession drills, including goal-scoring practice. Tactics also played a key role, with the ball taking center stage. Following the tactical work, Mourinho finished the day with intense small-sided games, a common practice for improving precision and quick decision-making. The manager will gradually reinstate the regular squad members. Denzel Dumfries is expected to return to Valdebebas on Tuesday, followed by Antonio Rüdiger, Vinicius Junior, and Endrick Felipe.
Freshness against Leganés
With Ferland Mendy, Éder Militão, and Rodrygo Goes sidelined with injuries, Mourinho could opt for an unusual starting lineup against Leganés. Lunin in goal, Trent and Carreras at full-back, and a center-back pairing of Raúl Asensio and Dean Huijsen is one of the most likely options. The midfield would consist of Güler, Camavinga, and Valverde, as previously mentioned, and Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo García would be given a chance up front. Both forwards are likely to be dropped, although Mourinho has so far retained the Madrid-born striker. Daniel Yáñez is the academy player who could start after scoring the winning penalty against Alcorcón.
Possible Real Madrid lineup against Leganés
Lunin; Trent, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Güler, Camavinga; Mastantuono, Yáñez and Gonzalo.
