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Carlo Ancelotti announced that the team will make some rotations for the game against Levante (20:00 CET). Therefore, players like Morata, Carvajal, Nacho, Casemiro or Jesé could get a chance to impress their coach. But Levante is a good defensive team that will force Real Madrid to play well and creatively.
After a good and somewhat convincing 4-0 win against Copenhaguen last Wednesday, Real Madrid will try to keep improving in order to find the right balance and groove to fight for all competitions. Ancelotti implemented a 4-3-3 formation that opened up a lot more space on the wings, something that allowed Cristiano Ronaldo and Di María to have a bigger contribution. It will be interesting to see if Ancelotti keeps playing with that formation or not after the failure of the 4-4-2.
This time it will not rain in Valencia. Last year, los blancos managed to get a sloppy 1-2 win after Morata's goal. The pitch should be in better condition, but Levante's defenders and the size of the field will surely make things difficult for Real's midfielders to control and dictate the tempo of the game.
Furthermore, Levante are under a new coach. Joaquín Caparrós took over after Juan Ignacio Martínez signed with Valladolid. Caparrós will try to carry on with Levante's legacy: play sloppy, play tough and wait for counterattacks and set pieces to appear. Caparrós has always been an underrated defensive coach that should be in a bigger team. Levante are managing to get points by winning two games, drawing four and losing just one. If they keep playing this well, they will not be in danger.
Barcelona scored seven goals on them on La Liga's first week, but Caparrós' men have improved their defense and they have conceded just four goals in the six games that came after they visited the Camp Nou.
As always, if Real Madrid concede a goal in the first few minutes, this game will surely get tough. But if Ancelotti's men are ahead after the first 45 minutes, the game could end up being quite easy.
Projected Lineups:
Levante Starting XI: Navas, López, Vyntra, Navarro, Juanfran, Diop, Pinto, Zhar, García, Xumetra, Diawara.
Real Madrid Starting XI: López, Carvajal, Ramos, Nacho, Coentrao, Casemiro, Isco, Modric, Di María, Morata, Cristiano Ronaldo