The Three Real Madrid Signings Confirmed by Ancelotti for the City Match

After the  victory against Manchester City, a hard-fought and grueling match at Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid must  temporarily return to LaLiga to defend the lead. Although it is true that the second leg against the sky blue squad at Santiago Bernabéu is still pending, the closest match will be played at El Sadar.

The Osasuna-Real Madrid scheduled for this Saturday, February 15 is a match of equal importance, even more so, than the Madrid classic. The draw in that duel against Atlético de Madrid, as well as FC Barcelona's victory, considerably reduces the merengue team's advantage over their immediate pursuers. With only one point of distance from Atlético de Madrid, and two points above FC Barcelona, it is necessary to maintain the winning pace at all costs.

That will be the objective of Carlo Ancelotti's pupils in the match against Osasuna. This clash in Navarre will be played before the Valencia-Atlético de Madrid, scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 p.m., and Las Palmas-FC Barcelona, scheduled for Sunday the 16th. Given this situation, the match against Vicente Moreno's players is a must-win for Real Madrid to put "pressure" on their eternal rivals in Spanish soccer.

However, the proximity of the clash against the sky blue entity makes it impossible to take their eyes off a high-tension knockout round. Although Carlo Ancelotti's press conference was intended to address issues related to the match against Osasuna, the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu takes almost all the attention.

Dilemma Resolved?

The injuries Real Madrid has recorded since the current season began, a constant trickle to the Valdebebas infirmary, have particularly affected the defense. Three of the four center-backs who started the season are currently injured: Militão, Alaba, and Rüdiger. Meanwhile, to mitigate their absence, the Reggiolo coach trusts Aurélien Tchouaméni and Raúl Asencio.

However, the Italian strategist makes it clear that this duo could be dismantled when the German '22' and the Austrian '4' return. "There are no undisputed starters", the Real Madrid coach reminds, when asked about the excellent performance of the Canarian '35'. Additionally, the transalpine coach has revealed the return date of Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba.

"They are improving and will be available for the match against Manchester City. Lucas Vázquez too", the Italian strategist states. With these three reinforcements to complete a defense really "hit" by injuries this season, squad management could be a bit easier in the upcoming matches.

Especially starting with a match where the continuity of the 24/25 European campaign is at stake. The round of 16, aside from the narrow victory at Etihad Stadium, is not yet over... although it is true that the return of these three very important players offers more options when it comes to building the best possible starting eleven.