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WHY KYLIAN MBAPPE NEEDS TWO GOALS TONIGHT TO MAKE REAL MADRID CLUB HISTORY

Kylian Mbappé is one goal from equaling and two from breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013 record. See the Real Madrid vs Sevilla preview.

Why Kylian Mbappe Needs Two Goals Tonight To Make Real Madrid Club History
Inside Xabi Alonso’s Tactical Plan

Get ready for a packed house at the Bernabéu, where over 80,000 fans will be watching Real Madrid wrap up the year against Sevilla this Saturday night.

Real Madrid is eager to put 2025 behind it. They didn't win any trophies, said goodbye to club legends Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modrić, and spent much of the year chasing Barcelona in the La Liga standings.

Right now, Real Madrid is four points behind their rivals. They're hoping to close that gap, even if just for a bit, with a win against Sevilla in their last game of the year. Real hasn't lost to Sevilla in 13 games, but Sevilla has only managed to win six games this season.

But recent ties with Rayo Vallecano, Girona, and Elche, not to mention a surprising loss to Celta Vigo, might show Matías Almeyda’s team how to get a decent result against Xabi Alonso’s struggling squad.

Real Madrid Team News

Alonso still can't count on Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, and Éder Militão because they are still injured. Plus, Brahim Díaz is playing for Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations, and Álvaro Carreras and Endrick are still suspended.

The good news for the Spaniard is that Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, and David Alaba are back in training before Saturday's game. These three are trying hard to be ready for Sevilla. Meanwhile, Fran García is expected to start at left back after being suspended for one game.

Everyone's eyes will be on Kylian Mbappé, though, as he could make club history. If he scores two goals, he'll break Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals scored in a year by a Real Madrid player.

Sevilla Team News

Almeyda has to work around many players unavailable for the trip to the Bernabéu on Saturday. Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke are playing for Nigeria in AFCON, and a bunch of Sevilla players are still out.

Rubén Vargas, Adnan Januzaj, Tanguy Nianzou, and Gabriel Suazo are all injured. Kike Salas, Marcão, César Azpilicueta, and Ørjan Nyland might not be fit in time for the club’s last game of the year.

Alexis Sánchez, formerly of Arsenal, is likely to lead Almeyda’s attack with Isaac Romero, who’s back from suspension. They will try to repeat their performance against Barcelona, where they both scored, leading Sevilla to a shocking win over the La Liga champions.

Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Sevilla

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Sevilla (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Rüdiger, Huijsen, F. García; Güler, Tchouaméni; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappé.

Sevilla Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

Sevilla predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (5-3-2): Vlachodimos; Carmona, Cardoso, Gudelj, López, Oso; Sow, Agoumé, Mendy; Romero, A. Sánchez.

JOSELU BREAKS SILENCE: REAL MADRID LEGEND IDENTIFIES MISSING INGREDIENT IN XABI ALONSO’S SQUAD

Does Real Madrid miss Carlo Ancelotti? Joselu compares the "fatherly" past to Xabi Alonso’s difficult start at the Bernabeu.

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Joselu Compares Ancelotti To Xabi Alonso

Ex-Real Madrid player Joselu Mato is giving his take on what's up with the team, as Xabi Alonso looks for the secret sauce. He was with Real Madrid when they last won big under Carlo Ancelotti a couple of seasons back.

Even though Real Madrid wanted him to stay and other teams in Europe made offers, Joselu went for the money and moved to Al-Gharafa in Qatar. He said it was too good an offer to pass up, especially after playing a big part in their La Liga and Champions League success.

Joselu told Diario AS that Ancelotti was a key guy in their winning season.

He was super important. In the locker room, everyone respected him and was committed to him. We knew we wouldn't let him down. He had a lot of experience and was always open to talking. He got that at Real Madrid; no one's ego is bigger than the team. That's why we won. He was like a dad to everyone – the team, the club, and the fans.

So, what's it like walking into Real Madrid's locker room?

Everyone talks about how special it is, and apparently, Alonso had a bit of a hard time getting on the same page with some of the big stars at first. Joselu described what it was like when he first showed up.

When I walked in, I was like, 'Wow!' Kroos, Modric, guys who'd been at Real Madrid for 10 or 12 years, Bellingham who had just gotten there, Vini, Fede, Carvajal, Lucas, Nacho – I'd played with some of them before. I had two thoughts: the first was, 'I'm actually at Real Madrid!' The other was, 'I've been in this room with Carva and Lucas before. I’d practised with Kroos and Modric; I knew the equipment guys and the trainers...'

About their current problems, Joselu said that people have really high expectations for them.

They need a number nine, right? (laughs). The thing is, people are comparing the years they won everything to the years they didn't. We only lost two games the entire year: one in La Liga and one in the Copa del Rey. We tied six others and won the rest. It's hard to do that again, no matter who you are – the best Barca, the best City, the best Madrid...

“It's hard to have another year where you win everything. They're under pressure to keep winning. They’ve got Mbappe, the best goal scorer out there; Vinicius is a superstar; Rodrygo is playing great again; Bellingham; Fede… When you see those names, you think no one can beat them.

So, what's Real Madrid missing?

When pushed a little more, Joselu, who says he still watches all of Real Madrid’s games, said they might be missing some fight.

Maybe they need that competitive fire, that feeling. The year I was there, almost everyone really felt what it meant to wear the Real Madrid jersey, and it mattered to them. I don't know if they've lost that. When you play with that real feeling of being a Real Madrid fan, you get something extra.”

If you're missing something, you need that feeling. I had it, and I saw that Nacho would do anything for the club, Carvajal too, even if he was injured, Lucas Vazquez the same, Fede the same, Vini gives it everything and is a huge Real Madrid fan…

Carvajal, who's now the captain, should be back in 2026 for their first game against Real Betis. Other experienced players like David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger have had injuries, and Valverde hasn't been as strong in the midfield. Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois are the two who have really stepped up.

REAL MADRID EYE RUBEN NEVES DEAL: MANCHESTER UNITED’S TOP MIDFIELD TARGET UNDER SERIOUS THREAT

Real Madrid have entered the race for Ruben Neves, threatening Manchester United’s plans to secure the Al-Hilal star this January.

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Real Madrid Plotting Hijack

Reports say Man Utd was set to grab Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves in January, but Real Madrid has now jumped into the mix.

Despite a shaky performance lately, with only two wins in their last seven games, the Red Devils are somehow holding onto sixth place in the Premier League table.

After a bad first season that saw Man Utd finish 15th, Amorim wants to get the team into a European spot this season.

INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe backed Amorim in the summer, spending over £200m on five new players.

However, fans and former players were annoyed that Man Utd didn't bring in a new midfielder, especially since that position caused issues last season.

It looks like they might get their wish in January. There's talk that Man Utd will for sure sign a new midfielder, but big signings might have to wait until the summer.

That's why Neves is so appealing to Man Utd. Players like him and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher wouldn't cost as much as guys like Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.

But now, getting Neves just became tougher for the Red Devils. A Spanish website, Fichajes, claims that Real Madrid is trying to steal the deal.

Apparently, Man Utd was the favourite to sign the Portuguese player, but a new club has appeared that might mess everything up.

Real Madrid has supposedly entered the race for Neves, as they know this is a rare chance.

Neves's contract is up in the summer, and Al-Hilal knows that January might be their last shot to make some money off of him.

The report says that those close to the player haven't ruled out a quick return to European football. At 28, Rúben Neves thinks he's still good enough to play in a top European league. He wants to get back to a more competitive setting, especially with the World Cup and other international games coming up.

Al Hilal is supposedly okay with selling him this winter if they get a decent offer. They don't want to lose a big player for nothing, which means negotiations could happen fast in the next few weeks.

Man Utd is still a serious contender for Neves, but Real Madrid getting involved just made things harder.

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