La Liga | Gameweek 29

Mar 29, 2025 at 8pm UK

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

Real Madrid vs Leganes

Match preview

Real Madrid's record of 18 wins, six draws and four defeats from 28 league games this season means they are second in the standings on 60 points, behind leaders Barcelona.

However, the Catalans have a game in hand on Thursday night against Osasuna, meaning Real Madrid could be three points off the pace when they host Leganes at home.

Carlo Ancelotti's side went into the March international break on the back of a 2-1 win over Villarreal, in which Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, making it four wins in a row in all competitions.

Los Blancos are chasing a treble in the closing stages of the season, with Arsenal awaiting them in the Champions League quarter-finals, while they host Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final next week.

It would be fair to say that Real Madrid have not been at their best for much of the season, but they are still in a strong position to add to their glittering trophy cabinet in the final months of the campaign.

Real Madrid have the best home record in La Liga this season, picking up 34 points from their 13 games at the Bernabeu, while Leganes have managed just 10 points from their 14 away games in the 2024/25 campaign.

Leganes have faced Real Madrid twice this season, suffering a 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture in November before losing 3-2 last month when the two sides met in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.

El Lega have never beaten Real Madrid in La Liga, losing seven and drawing two of their nine encounters with the capital giants in the competition, with the two draws coming in front of their own fans.

The last league meeting between the two sides at the Bernabeu came in October 2019, with the hosts running out 5-0 winners, but Leganes' players will certainly be fresher going into the contest, with a number of Real Madrid's stars on international duty.

Leganes opened March with a 1-0 win over Getafe, but have lost their last two matches against Celta Vigo and Real Betis, leaving them 18th in the standings, level on points with 17th-placed Alaves.

Borja Jimenez's side, the reigning Segunda Division champions, have struggled on the road this season, but did manage a 1-0 win away to leaders Barcelona just before the Spanish winter break.

Recent Performance

Real Madrid La Liga form:DDWLWW

Real Madrid form (all competitions):WLWWWW

Leganes La Liga form:LDLWLL

Team News

Real Madrid will once again be without the services of long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao due to injury, although the pair are making excellent progress and are expected to return before the end of the 2024-25 season.

Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos and Jesus Vallejo are also absent, while Thibaut Courtois is out with a muscle strain, but Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are all available.

Vinicius and Antonio Rudiger are both back in the XI after coming off the bench against Villarreal last time out, while Fran Garcia should continue at left-back in Mendy's absence.

Mbappe will be looking to add to his tally of 31 goals in all competitions for the 2024-25 season.

For Leganes, Enric Franquesa remains on the sidelines with a long-term knee injury, while Diego Garcia and Yvan Neyou are also doubts, with late fitness tests required to determine their availability.

Dani Raba scored twice against Real Betis before the international break from a centre-forward position and the Spaniard is expected to start again this weekend, with Miguel de la Fuente on the bench.

Juan Cruz scored twice against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey earlier this season, and the 24-year-old, who has scored seven goals and provided four assists in 32 appearances during an impressive campaign, will be in line to start again.

Possible starting lineup

Real Madrid possible starting lineup:

Lunin; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius

Leganes possible starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, J Hernandez; Cruz, Rodriguez, Tapia, Cisse, Brasanac; Raba