Real Madrid vs Eibar line-ups confirmed: Kroos dropped, Valverde and Reguilon start Real Madrid - Eibar More changes from Zidane Real Madrid are looking to bounce back from the midweek defeat against Valencia with a win over over Eibar. Zinedine Zidane, as he has done in his previous three matches since his return as coach, has made changes. Notably, Toni Kroos has been dropped in favour of young Fede Valverde in central midfield. Sergio Reguilon also comes in for his first start under the Frenchman in place of Marcelo while Isco also starts. Real Madrid's starting line-up: Keylor Navas, Odriozola, Nacho, Varane, Reguilon; Modric, Valverde, Isco, Bale, Asensio. Benzema. Eibar's starting line-up: Dmitrovic, Cucurella, Oliveira, Ramis, Cote, Pedro Leon, S. Alvarez, Escalante, Jordán, De Blasis, Sergi Enrich.<doc-sep>Real Madrid published their starting lineup for the upcoming match against Eibar in La Liga. Real Madrid starting XI: Keylor; Odriozola, Nacho, Varane, Reguilón; Modric, Valverde, Isco; Bale, Asensio and Benzema. Eibar starting XI: Dmitrovic; Cucurella, Oliveira, Ramis, Cote; Escalante, Jordán, Sergio Álvarez, De Blasis, Pedro León; Sergi Enrich. This is a quality lineup for Real Madrid. The Valverde-Modric-Isco midfield is quite intriguing and one which could be very productive when Los Blancos have the ball. Bale and Asensio will also want to prove their worth and this game is definitely a good chance for them to do so. HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA Date: 04/06/2019 Time: 16:15 CEST, 10:15am EST, 07:15am Pacific. Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain. Available TV: BeIN Sports (USA), Movistar Partidazo (Spain). Available Streaming: BeIN Sports (USA), Fubo.TV (EVERY Real Madrid game with a high-quality and legal stream, click here to sign up and benefit from a discount for new members).<doc-sep>Sports Mole provides the team news, predicted lineups and a full preview of Real Madrid's La Liga clash with Eibar. Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back from Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Valencia when they welcome Eibar to the Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon. The defeat at the Mestalla has left Los Blancos five points off second-placed Atletico Madrid, placing huge importance on this weekend's La Liga clash against 10th-placed Eibar. Real Madrid © Reuters Zinedine Zidane started his second spell in charge of Madrid with back-to-back victories over Celta Vigo and Huesca. Confidence would have been high at that point, but the team's problems were once again shown on Wednesday night when they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Valencia. There is no question that Zidane has improved the mood since returning to the Bernabeu, but there is also no getting away from the fact that this is a squad in desperate need of a revamp. Los Blancos reportedly have a huge transfer budget this summer and big-name signings are certainly needed if Madrid are to be challengers for the major trophies next season. Nine defeats from 30 La Liga matches this term is just not good enough for a team of Madrid's ilk. As it stands, they are 13 points off leaders Barcelona and as mentioned, five points off second-placed Atletico. Los Blancos will not finish lower than third, but they would have been keen to secure the spot behind Barcelona. The fact that Madrid also have the worst defensive record in the top six is telling, while even the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Eibar have conceded fewer league goals than the European champions this season. In terms of what is ahead - Madrid will travel to Eibar and host Athletic Bilbao in their two after this one, before finishing the month with matches against Getafe and Rayo Vallecano. May then brings their final three league games of the campaign against Villarreal, Sociedad and Real Betis. The fact that the club are not involved in the Champions League at the quarter-final stage is a huge disappointment. There might have been a Copa del Rey final to fall back on, but Barcelona ultimately beat Madrid 4-1 on aggregate to ease into the final of the competition once again. Big changes will need to be made next season, but for now, Zidane will just be concentrating on returning to winning ways following the disappointment of Wednesday night. Recent form: WLWWWL Recent form (all competitions): LLWWWL Eibar © Reuters Nine wins, 12 draws and nine defeats - that is how Eibar have performed in the league this season. A total of 39 points has left them in 10th position, just five points off the top six entering the business end of the campaign. This is actually Eibar's fifth straight campaign in the top flight of Spanish football; they finished 18th, 14th and 10th in their first three seasons at this level, before posting ninth last term. It does appear that Los Armeros will finish around that position again, which would be seen as a huge success. With a stadium that holds little over 7,000, it is still difficult to believe that the Basque club can compete at this level of football. Until Huesca qualified for the top flight last term, Eibar were widely regarded as the smallest club to have played in La Liga. Jose Luis Mendilibar's side will head to the Bernabeu having lost just one of their last five in the league. On Wednesday, they recorded a 2-1 home win over Rayo Vallecano, but they have not actually been victorious on their travels since a 3-2 success at Girona back in October. Four of Eibar's last five away league matches have finished level, however, and there is no question that the club will fancy their chances of preventing Madrid from collecting all three points this weekend. Indeed, Eibar recorded a 3-0 victory in the reverse match back in November, with Gonzalo Escalante, Sergi Enrich and Kike on the scoresheet for the home side, who were excellent. That said, the Basque side have lost 3-0, 4-0 and 3-0 on three of their four trips to the Bernabeu in the league. It is a tough period of the season for Eibar as they face Madrid, Sociedad and Atletico in their next three league fixtures, before taking on Huesca and Valencia in their final two games of April. A top-six spot is still very much open, though, and they will be looking to take all three points from the Bernabeu this weekend. Recent form: WDLDDW Team News © Reuters Madrid will once again be without the services of Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal, but Thibaut Courtois could return having not yet featured under Zidane. Marcelo is suspended, meanwhile, meaning that Sergio Reguilon should feature at left-back. Isco and Gareth Bale both came off the bench in the defeat to Valencia and could start, while Dani Ceballos might be handed a spot in central midfield as Zidane prepares to shuffle his pack. As for Eibar, the visitors are still likely to be without injured centre-back Pedro Bigas, while midfielder Papa Diop is suspended for the Basque club. Head coach Mendilibar has no fresh injury concerns from the team that beat Rayo on Wednesday night, but Joan Jordan and Enrich are both expected to return to the starting XI. Real Madrid possible starting lineup: Courtois; Odriozola, Varane, Ramos, Reguilon; Ceballos, Casemiro, Modric; Isco, Benzema, Bale Eibar possible starting lineup: Dmitrovic; Cote, Ramis, Oliveira, Pena; Cardona, Jordan, Alvarez, Orellana; Charles, Enrich Head To Head As mentioned, Eibar recorded a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season. However, the Basque side have lost 3-0, 4-0 and 3-0 on three of their last four visits to the Bernabeu in Spain's top flight. The exception to the three defeats came in October 2016 when they picked up a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital. We say: Real Madrid 2-1 Eibar Eibar certainly have the credentials to cause Madrid problems this weekend. However, we just fancy Zidane's side to have enough on home soil to collect all three points.<doc-sep>Karim Benzema’s brace helped Real Madrid record a victory against Eibar as they bounced back from their first loss, since Zidane returned, earlier in the week. Los Blancos contested a tight affair with the Basque club as they both struggled to create chances. The match was played at a relatively slow pace with little intensity until the second half when Zidane’s men increased their attacking tempo. This shift in offensive pressure was largely founded, initially, on a crossing scheme and then an effective counter-attacking approach. Zidane had made some notable introductions in the starting line-up. Reguilon’s name, in particular, was a welcome sight in the game sheet as the young Spaniard earned his first minutes under the French manager. Valverde made his first start under Zidane which provided a good opportunity to see more of the Uruguayan in action. The rest of the line-up was expected except for Nacho who filled in for Ramos – who was presumably being rested. Real Madrid unsuccessfully try to bypass Eibar’s defensive line The home side maintained a significant level of control during the opening phase of the match as they comfortably held possession while Eibar couldn’t compile any prolongued sequences with their time on the ball. However, offensive production was especially stale with the primary mechanism being utilized being attempted vertical deliveries (both direct through-balls and chipped passes) to forwards making runs. This tactic didn’t work very well due to failures in accurately executing passes. In theory, it made sense to target Eibar’s adventurous defensive line which crept up to vulnerable levels several times. Bale and Asensio’s speed would have allowed them to make dangerous runs and put them in favorable isolation and potentially goal scoring positions if they were found with well-timed passes. However, ball carriers in multiple situations couldn’t produce the quality required to find the runners. In the below example, Benzema misplaced a fairly straightforward pass to Bale. When midfielders were able to execute passes, they were unfortunately written off due to marginal offside calls reinforcing that the team was lacking fortune and precision. Eibar exploits midfield lapse in concentration to take the lead Eibar scored the opening goal by exploiting an issue that has plagued the team throughout the season. The midfield’s defensive organization occasionally lacks discipline and is prone to disorientation which often results in costly mistakes. In this particular sequence, the midfield trio (Valverde and Modric were the culprits), fail to adjust to mark Escalante who slips into a precarious open space in Real’s defensive third. This initial mistake unsettled Real’s defensive shape but they’re able to recover adequately as Eibar don’t immediately capitalize on the space they have accessed. However, Escalante displays great awareness and guile to find Cardona who ghosts past Reguilon at the back post. Real Madrid mount a comeback after switching to a cross-centric attack Real Madrid made a deliberate switch a crossing game in the second half as they searched for an equalizer – jumping from five crosses in the first half to 13 (!) in the second half. This, compounded with their faster pace, created a much more favorable offensive dynamic than the first half. Bale and Benzema positioned themselves much more centrally to provide crossers with options in the box. Furthermore, as Eibar receded slightly and defended in a deeper block, Real Madrid’s transition to crosses was partially influenced by how their opposition defended. The tactic didn’t take too long to pay dividends as Asensio delivered a beautifully lofted cross into the box which Benzema nodded home. The French striker would go on to double his tally in the 81st minute after an intricate corner set piece. Real Madrid managed the game well from that point and could have scored more goals if not for some questionable finished as they counter-attacked a stretched and desperate Eibar.<doc-sep>
Real Madrid vs Eibar: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview Los Blancos are seeking to bounce back after a midweek setback, though Zinedine Zidane still remains concerned about the motivation levels of his side Real Madrid suffered their first defeat since the return of Zinedine Zidane on Wednesday and will seek to respond against Eibar at the Bernabeu. A trip to Valencia always promised to be a tricky affair but Los Blancos disappointed in a 2-1 reverse , with Karim Benzema’s stoppage-time strike a mere consolation. If they are to overhaul Atletico Madrid into second place, they cannot afford such slips and will expect three points at the weekend against opponents safely anchored in the middle of the table, but who won 3-0 when they met earlier this season. Game Real Madrid v Eibar Date Saturday, April 6 Time 3:15pm BST / 10:15am EST Stream (US) fubo TV (7-day free trial) TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial). New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser. US TV channel Online stream beIN SPORTS / beIN SPORTS en Espanol fubo TV (7-day free trial) In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be streamed via Eleven Sports 1. UK TV channel Online stream N/A Eleven Sports 1 Squads & Team News Position Real Madrid squad Goalkeepers Navas, Luca, Moha, Courtois Defenders Vallejo, Ramos, Varane, Odriozoloa, Reguilon, Nacho, Carvajal Midfielders Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Asensio, Isco, Ceballos, Llorente Forwards Mariano, Benzema, Bale, Vazquez Marcelo misses this match due to suspension and Zinedine Zidane still cannot select the injured Vinicius Junior. Marcos Llorente, Thibaut Courtois and Dani Carvajal are all missing for this game. Gareth Bale and Isco are back in the starting XI, while Toni Kroos and Casemiro take their place on the bench. Confirmed Real Madrid starting XI: Navas, Odriozola, Varane, Nacho, Reguilon, Modric, Valverde, Isco, Bale, Benzema, Asensio. Position Eibar squad Goalkeepers Riesgo, Dmitrovic Defenders Pena, Oliveira, Bigas, Angel, Ramis, Cucurella Midfielders Diop, Escalante, Alvarez, De Blasis, Mila, Pedro Leon, Jordan Forwards Enrich, Kike, Charles, Cardona Eibar have few selection headaches for their trip to the Spanish capital. Papakouli Diop is banned and Anaitz Arbilla is injured, however. Confirmed Eibar starting XI: Dmitrovi, De Blasis, Ramis, Paulo Oliveira, Cote, Pedro León, Escalante, Sergio Alvarez, Joan Jordan, Cucurella, Sergi Enrich. Betting & Match Odds Real Madrid are 1/4 favourites to get back to winning ways with bet365 . Eibar are priced at a distant 11/1, while a draw is 5/1. Match Preview Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is worried that his squad are simply playing out time in the 2018/19 season. They are 13 points behind league leaders Barcelona but comfortably ensconced in the top four, the side from the capital have little to play for in the final two months of the campaign, having also been knocked out of the Copa del Rey and Champions League. Even before Wednesday’s loss in Valencia, Zidane had voiced concerns that there was a lack of drive in the team and after that 2-1 defeat he reiterated his concerns. “It's true that, maybe in these games we lack some motivation,” he said. “But these players are professionals and when they put on the shirt of this team they know they have to go for it and they do it.” The loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus is a blow that Madrid never really seem to have overcome this year and while significant summer spending seems to grow more inevitable with each setback, Zidane has argued that his players are not fighting for their spots on the roster. “This is not an exam at all because these people are Real Madrid players,” he said. “We are going through a complicated moment. We must also live the bad moments, it will not change anything.” The players, however, are aware that things cannot go on as they are with Casemiro recently admitting that something is “not right” after the Valencia match. “Real Madrid have to be at their best in every single training session and every single game,” he added. “We have to improve. “We have a game at home against Eibar on Saturday - we've got to think about that game.