Real Madrid target Alaves scalp at the Bernabeu in La Liga clash

The Spanish giants have stumbled since the international break, starting with a league defeat to Mallorca, followed by a home loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. 

A draw against Girona offered little relief, and the situation worsened with a 4-3 defeat in Munich that confirmed their European exit.

That result has left Madrid nine points behind Barcelona in the title race and under real pressure to respond. It is their worst run since 2018 under Julen Lopetegui, and expectations remain high for a reaction against an Alaves side sitting 17th in the table.

There are no major changes in terms of injuries, with Rodrygo Goes, Thibaut Courtois and Raul Asencio still unavailable. However, manager Alvaro Arbeloa is expected to rotate his squad after the draining trip to Germany.

In goal, Andriy Lunin is set to continue while Courtois recovers. At the back, Dani Carvajal is expected to start at right-back, giving Trent Alexander-Arnold a rest, while Antonio Rudiger could also be rotated out in favour of Dean Huijsen alongside Eder Militao.

Alvaro Carreras may come in on the left ahead of Ferland Mendy.

In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni returns after suspension and is set to anchor the side again. Arda Guler, fresh from scoring twice against Bayern, is expected to partner him centrally.

Federico Valverde should shift back to his usual right-sided role, while Jude Bellingham operates from the left with licence to move inside.

Up front, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior remain the undisputed attacking pairing. Mbappe will also have added motivation as he looks to stay ahead in the Pichichi race, with Vedat Muriqi just two goals behind him.

Madrid know anything less than a win would deepen the scrutiny, but the Bernabeu stage offers a chance to reset their season.

READ MORE: How Miguel Cardoso silenced Mamelodi Sundowns critics amid mixed results