Spanish champions Real Madrid will be bidding to move to the top of the La Liga table when they head to Mestalla on Friday night to tackle a Valencia outfit that are currently down in 19th position.

preview

Valencia have a record of two wins, six draws and nine defeats from their 17 league matches this season, which has left them in 19th spot in the table on 12 points, level on points with basement side Real Valladolid.

Los Che are only four points off 17th-placed Getafe with a game in hand, though, so it is not time to panic, and they have picked up four points from their last two home league games against Real Madrid, including a 2-2 draw last term.

Ruben Baraja's side have shared the points with Espanyol and Alaves in their last two league matches, with their last success in Spain's top flight coming at home to Real Betis on November 23.

The six-time Spanish champions have only picked up two points from their last five league matches, and the fact that they have only won twice in Spain's top flight this term is a big concern at this stage of the campaign.

Valencia have only picked up nine points from their eight home La Liga matches this term, but they will be welcoming a Real Madrid outfit that have won just four of their nine league fixtures away from Bernabeu during the 2024-25 campaign.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, entered the winter break in Spain off the back of a 4-2 success over Sevilla, which moved them onto 40 points from 18 league matches - enough for second spot in the table.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are one point behind the leaders Atletico, who have also played 18 times, while they are two points ahead of third-placed Barcelona, who have played a game more than the two at the top of the division.

Real Madrid only need a point to move to the top of the division on Friday, but there is absolutely no question that the reigning champions will be bidding to secure all three, with a 13th La Liga success of the campaign on their minds.

Los Blancos won the FIFA Intercontinental Cup last month by beating Pachuca, and their next two after this one will be in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, facing Deportiva Minera in the former on January 6, before tackling Mallorca in the semi-finals of the latter competition three days later.

It would be fair to say that Real Madrid have struggled to play their best football in the first half of this season, but the fact that they can move to the top of the table on Friday is worrying for their rivals, as Los Blancos have so much quality, and it will spell bad news for the rest if they suddenly start to find a rhythm.

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Dimitrievski; Foulquier, Mosquera, Gasiorowski, Rioja; Barrenechea, Guerra; D Gomez, Almeida, D Lopez; Duro

Real Madrid possible starting lineup:

Courtois; Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, F Garcia; Camavinga, Valverde; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe