Preview: Real Madrid vs. Las Palmas
Following a 3-1 victory for Atletico Madrid in Sunday’s derby, Real Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways when Las Palmas visit the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Los Amarillos picked up their first victory of the season last time out, securing a 1-0 win against Granada thanks to Kirian Rodriguez’s stoppage-time strike.
Despite racking up 64% possession and 20 shots at the Metropolitano Stadium, Real Madrid were unable to prevent a 3-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, with former Los Blancos striker Alvaro Morata bagging a brace to add insult to injury.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men kicked off their campaign with a six-game winning streak, notching five consecutive La Liga victories before defeating Union Berlin in their Champions League opener, but they were brought back down to earth by their cross-city rivals.
Remarkably, new signing Jude Bellingham scored six goals during the six-game winning streak, inspiring his side to victories over Athletic Bilbao, Almeria, Celta Vigo, Getafe and Real Sociedad before netting the winner on his Champions League debut for Real Madrid.
Although Bellingham failed to instigate another revival against Atletico, the 20-year-old midfielder has swiftly established himself as one of La Liga’s brightest stars and has stepped up in the absence of injured forward Vinicius Junior, who has missed the past four games.
Following five failed attempts, Las Palmas finally secured their first victory of the season as they claimed a 1-0 win against Granada in dramatic circumstances on Sunday, with Kirian Rodriguez scoring a sublime long-range goal in the 92nd minute.
Despite playing more than 30 minutes with 10 men following Mika Marmol’s red card, Los Amarillos dominated large spells of the second half while limiting Granada to a solitary attempt on target, highlighting the team’s desire to claim all three points.
It is worth noting that Las Palmas have not disgraced themselves since gaining promotion from the second tier last season, recording two draws and three losses before Sunday’s triumph, with 1-0 defeats coming against Valencia, Girona and Sevilla.
The Canary Islanders may be the lowest scorers in the division, but no team has conceded fewer La Liga goals than Garcia Pimienta’s side in 2023-24, so Las Palmas will fancy their chances of getting something from Sunday’s showdown at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid La Liga form:
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Real Madrid form (all competitions):
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Las Palmas La Liga form:
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We say: Real Madrid 2-0 Las Palmas
Boasting the joint-best defensive record in the division, Las Palmas will not make life easy for Real Madrid, but Ancelotti’s men look set to return to winning ways with a hard-fought victory on home soil.