Real Madrid winning over Cádiz last week followed by Girona defeating FC Barcelona, helped the Merengues wrap up this season’s La Liga title, taking their league tally to 36.
In the midst of all this, Los Blancos also played out a European Clasico against Bayern Munich and emerged victorious, securing their place in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley.
With La Liga already done and dusted with four games to go, it is expected that Carlo Ancelotti will give the bench a chance – starting with the match against Granada.
The men in white have also received an injury scare in the form of Aurelién Tchouaméni, who is ruled out for the next 3-4 weeks, with the reports also suggesting he may miss the final against Dortmund.
But for now, Real Madrid will be looking ahead to their match against Granada, and here is how they can line up for this match.
Expected lineup:
GK: Thibaut Courtois
In his first start of the season versus Càdiz, the Belgian kept a clean sheet and made some important saves. At Real Madrid they believe it would be difficult to bench him in the final against Borussia Dortmund, but with Lunin’s emergence this season, the 32-year-old knows that he has some good competition and will have to show what he is capable of.
RB: Lucas Vázquez
With Ancelotti wanting to give game time to the fringe players, the 32-year-old will replace Carvajal in the side. Following good performances against Barcelona and Real Sociedad, he had a poor outing at the Allianz Arena, but would look to put that performance behind him and end the season on a high.
CB: Éder Militão
The Brazilian is slowly regaining his form, as evidenced by his full match against Cádiz last week. However, he made a few uncharacteristic mistakes, which Courtois bailed him out of. It is crucial for a player of his caliber to avoid such errors, as the 26-year-old can make a case for himself for the Champions League final, given his current position in the pecking order.
CB: Nacho
Being the captain, the veteran defender has led from the front in the previous few games and he would want to end his Real Madrid career on a high. Following a sensational semi-final win, the Spaniard will partner up with Militão against Granada. Facing relegation, Granada would have to do immensely well to get past this defensive pairing.
LB: Fran García
The 24-year-old has blown hot and cold this season with his performances but the most recent outing against Cádiz showed what he is capable of. With the possible addition of Alphonso Davies at the left-back position, Fran will look to prove that he is here to stay and fight for his place.
CM: Dani Ceballos
He had a poor outing against Sociedad but started the game against Cadiz as well, and put in a much better display. With the midfield at Real Madrid stacked and the bar set so high already, it will not be easy for the Spaniard next season and he will have to pull off something special in these remaining games if he wants to stay at the club next season.
CDM: Eduardo Camavinga
With Tchouaméni ruled out, Camavinga is expected to start not only this game but also the remaining ones, potentially including the final against Dortmund. He was the standout player against Cádiz and injected some much-needed energy into the midfield against Bayern as well. The 21-year-old may want to create a selection dilemma for the Italian manager once Tchouaméni returns.
CM: Luka Modrić
It is not confirmed whether the Croatian will retire at the end of the season, but if he does, he will leave on an all-time high. The Ballon d’Or winner has changed games this season, especially while coming off the bench.
Ancelotti does feel more secure with Modrić in his side and with four games to go, the 38-year-old would want to weave some magic for the Real Madrid fans, like he has done all these years.
RW: Arda Güler
The Turk is expected to start his third consecutive La Liga game for the team after some great performances against Sociedad and Cádiz. Despite not getting as much game time this season, the youngster is expected to stay at the club next season and fight for his place. Another away game, another Güler special?
ST: Joselu
The veteran striker would be riding high on confidence following his sensational brace against Bayern Munich. He has proven to be an able backup striker this season and is also going through a great run of form, scoring three goals in the last two games. With his loan spell ending, the Spaniard would want to mark the end of his stint in a memorable way.
LW: Brahim Díaz
The Moroccan national has scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists this season, which is what was expected of him when he joined the club. Most of the games he has come on as a substitute and injected energy into the team and has shown his ability to dribble past players with ease. With 6 goals scored in La Liga, the 24-year-old is expected to add to his tally in the remaining few games.
