The rescheduled Matchday 12 clash in La Liga between Valencia and Real Madrid will take place on January 3 at the Mestalla Stadium. Valencia vs. Real Madrid: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Cesar Soto Grado (Spain)
Matches – 9 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 40;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 0%.
Predicted lineups for Valencia vs. Real Madrid
Valencia (4-2-3-1): Stole Dimitrievski – Luis Rioja, Jarek Gasirowski, Dimitri Foulquier, Cristhian Mosquera – Enzo Barrenechea, Javi Guerra – Andre Almeida, Fran Perez, Diego Lopez – Hugo Duro.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois – Lucas Vazquez, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rudiger – Federico Valverde, Dani Ceballos – Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes – Kylian Mbappe.
Each team's starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is indicated.
Valencia
The Valencians have not tasted victory in their last five league matches. During this stretch, the team suffered three one-goal defeats before drawing with Espanyol (1-1) and Alaves (2-2). The club remains in the relegation zone, having secured only two wins in 17 La Liga games. This situation led to the dismissal of head coach Ruben Baraja, with Carlos Corberan, formerly of West Bromwich Albion, taking the reins.
Striker Rafa Mir and defender Thierry Correia will miss the game due to injuries.
- The Valencians have failed to win in 22 of their last 24 La Liga matches (8 draws and 14 losses).
- No more than three goals have been scored in 12 of Valencia's last 15 La Liga games.
- The team has not won the first half in 13 consecutive home league matches (9 draws and 4 losses).
Real Madrid
The capital club has scored 13 goals in their last three league matches. First, Madrid thrashed Girona away (3-0) and drew with Rayo Vallecano (3-3), before defeating Sevilla at home 4-2. As a result, the team has overtaken Barcelona by two points (with a game in hand) but still trails Atletico by one point, who recently topped the table.
Defenders David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao will miss this match due to injuries.
- In their last 50 La Liga matches, Real Madrid has suffered only two defeats (36 wins and 12 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 8 of Madrid's last 9 league games.
- Both teams have scored in 7 of the club's last 10 away matches in La Liga.
Valencia vs. Real Madrid: Match Prediction
If Madrid wins this rescheduled match, they will return to the top of the table. However, their city rivals Atletico will still have a game in hand. Carlo Ancelotti's men must seize this opportunity, as it would also allow them to pull five points clear of Barcelona. Valencia is not considered a formidable opponent, as they are languishing at the bottom of the table, rarely win, score few goals, and have recently lost their head coach. It's unlikely the new coach will be able to make significant changes in the team within a week, so I expect only a victory for the visitors in this game.
In the current league, Valencia has lost at home even to Las Palmas (2-3) and Rayo Vallecano (0-1), and dropped points against Alaves (2-2) and Osasuna (0-0). It will be extremely difficult for the current team to cope with Madrid. Real Madrid has lost only once in their last 24 away matches in La Liga. If the team has dropped points on the road, it has been against much stronger opponents. Additionally, in the last seven head-to-head meetings in La Liga, Madrid has won five times, drawn once, and Valencia has won only once. Therefore, my prediction is Real Madrid with a handicap (-1).
