The 36-time Spanish champions are on a mission to reclaim the LaLiga crown this season and have made a strong case with a victory over Barcelona.
Real Madrid currently sit top of the table with a five point buffer ahead of Barcelona and will aim to keep the momentum with a home victory over Valencia.
Xabi Alonso’s men have won 12 of their 13 matches across all competitions, and three points at the Bernabéu will give them a provisional eight-point lead, with the Blaugrana not playing until Sunday.
The hosts will also be looking ahead to their upcoming trip to Anfield in the Champions League, therefore some rotation may be expected on Saturday. However, Los Blancos will still want to avenge a 2-1 defeat to Los Che that took place in the latest encounter of the two sides back in April.
Crucially, the visitors are the last team in LaLiga to earn a victory at Madrid’s home ground, though Los Blancos have dominated in the head-to-head statistics, winning seven out of the last ten matches against Valencia.
Alonso faces another difficult selection dilemma in midfield with Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Güler all in great form. At the back, however, another injury limits the manager’s options, with captain Dani Carvajal out for another few months with a knee operation. Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé are expected to lead the line once more, building from their Clásico masterclass.
It will likely be a tough night for Valencia, who will go into the game having won only two of the opening 10 league games.
Carlos Corberán’s side currently sit in 18th position with only nine points, though a positive result at the Bernabéu could see them climb out of the relegation zone.
On the positive side, Los Che face Real Madrid off the back of a win, following their 5-0 demolition of Maracena in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.
Arnaut Danjuma and Hugo Duro will be Valencia’s main hope on Saturday, with both strikers netting four goals this season, though the visitors won’t be able to rely on Mouctar Diakhaby, Largie Ramazani and Dimitri Foulquier, all of whom continue nursing their injuries.
Valencia have a mountain to climb if they are to get back into Europe, or even push for a top-ten finish, with a relegation battle looking the more realistic scenario at present. And if they’re to spark a turnaround this weekend, they’ll need something close to a miracle at the Bernabéu.
The match will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1 in the UK, with a kick-off time of 20:00 [GMT].