Real Madrid visit Alavés with a depleted defensive line. Xabi Alonso will be forced to deploy some players out of their natural position in what’s expected to be a decisive game for his future.

Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Valdepeñas, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Bellingham, Güler, Vinicius, Mbappé.

Alavés predicted XI: Sivera, Otto, Tenaglia, Pacheco, Parada, Ibañez, Blanco, Suarez, Calebe, Boye, Rebbach.

Academy player Valdepeñas seems to be the obvious candidate to start at the left-back spot. Dean Huijsen just came back from an injury, but he might be ahead of Rudiger in the rotation.

HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA

Time: 21:00 CET, 03:00pm EST.

Venue: Mendizorroza, Vitoria, Spain.

Available TV: DAZN La Liga (Spain), ESPN Deportes (USA).

Available Streaming: ESPN+ (USA)

Managing Madrid has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.