After claiming the UEFA Super Cup in Helsinki on Wednesday, Real Madrid now get set to begin La Liga play as they open their season on the road against newly-promoted Almeria on Sunday.
Los Blancos topped German side Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in midweek to hoist their latest trophy, keeping the pesky Frankfurt attack under wraps throughout the 90 minutes.
Now, the reigning Champions League and La Liga title holders are ready to defend their domestic crown, hitting the road first to match up against one of the league's three newcomers.
Almeria won the Segunda Division last season, topping the table on goal differential after finishing level on points with Real Valladolid. La Union, owned by Saudi royal advisor Turki Al-Sheikh, sported a key mix of defensive acumen and attacking flair last season, scoring 68 goals through 42 league games (good for second-best in the league) while conceding just 35 (best in the league).
MORE: Real Madrid updated squad, transfers & shirt numbers for 2022/23
Almeria vs. Real Madrid TV channel, live stream
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Date | Sun, Aug 14 | Sun, Aug 14 | Sun, Aug 14 | Mon, Aug 15 |
| Time | 21:00 BST | 16:00 ET | 16:00 ET | 06:00 AEST |
| TV channel | Premier Sports 1 | — | TSN 2 | — |
| Streaming | Premier Player HD | ESPN+ | TSN Go, TSN Direct, TSN app, TSN.ca | Optus Sport |
USA: Sunday's match will be broadcast in the United States by ESPN exclusively on their exclusive streaming service ESPN+.
UK: In the UK, the match can be seen on Premier Sports 1 and streamed by Premier Player.
Canada: In Canada, La Liga matches are available exclusively on TSN television and streaming platforms.
Australia: The match from the Power Horse Stadium will be streamed by Optus Sport.
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Almeria vs. Real Madrid projected lineups & team news
While Almeria were adept at scoring goals last season in La Liga 2, the Spanish top flight will present an entirely different challenge.
Although a likely transfer target, Nigerian international Umar Sadiq is expected to lead the line for the newly promoted side against Real Madrid, looking to translate his 18-goal, 12-assist season last year into the Spanish top flight. He is supported up front by a mix of experience and youth in wingers Largie Ramazani (21 years old) and Francisco Portillo (32 years old). Ramazani is another potential transfer candidate before the close of the window.
Almeria brought in 18-year-old Brazilian center-back Kaiky from Santos, but it's unlikely he will be ready to start. Rodrigo Ely and Srdjan Babic formed last year's partnership and could continue as the youngster develops.
Almeria projected starting lineup (4-1-4-1, right to left): Fernando (GK) — Pozo, Ely, Babic, Centelles — De la Hoz — Ramazani, Robertone, Samu, Portillo — Sadiq.
🏟 Sesión a puerta cerrada en el Power Horse.
— UD Almería (@U_D_Almeria) August 11, 2022
💪🏽 Seguimos preparando el #AlmeríaRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/s4YgowMSXX
Manager Carlo Ancelotti promised some tweaks to the Real Madrid lineup coming out of the Super Cup. New center-back Antonio Rudiger, who earned just a few minutes off the bench in Helsinki is expected to feature alongside Eder Militao in central defense. David Alaba is projected to take over left-back duties, while Lucas Vazquez replaces the injured Dani Carvajal (ankle) at right-back.
Up front, Ballon d'Or front-runner Karim Benzema leads the attacking charge, with his trusty Brazilian sidekick Vinicius Jr. in support down the left. Rodrygo is out for the match, and Marco Asensio could line up on the right side of the forward line with Fede Valverde joining the central midfield group, where Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to give a breather to Casemiro, according to Spanish media.
Real Madrid projected starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba — Valverde, Tchouameni, Modric — Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius.
✨ Easy ✨
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) August 11, 2022
👉 @lukamodric10
👉 @Casemiro
👉 @ToniKroos #CHAMPION5 pic.twitter.com/BXEv8ZP6X1
MORE: All you need to know about Real Madrid's UEFA Super Cup triumph
Almeria vs. Real Madrid betting pick & prediction
Odds via DraftKings (USA) & Sports Interaction (Canada)
Almeria scored loads of goals in the Spanish second tier last season, but with Champions League title-holders Real Madrid welcoming them to the top flight, the attacking dynamic for the newly promoted side is likely to change.
Los Blancos are led up front by the flashy Karim Benzema, but it's their defensive structure that allows Madrid to be so air-tight both domestic and abroad. The arrival of new defender Antonio Rudiger only bolsters their defensive ability. There won't be any way through for Almeria, who are surprisingly backed by bookmakers to score against the reigning league winners.
- Pick: Both teams NOT to score (+110 on DraftKings)
- Prediction: Almeria 0-3 Real Madrid
| DraftKings | Sports Interaction | |
|---|---|---|
| Almeria win | +600 | 6.56 |
| Draw | +370 | 4.93 |
| Real Madrid win | -270 | 1.38 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -140 / +110 | 1.69 / 1.93 |
| Over / Under 3.0 goals | -115 / -110 | 1.83 / 1.88 |
| Real Madrid -1.5 | +110 | 2.06 |
| Almeria +1.5 | -135 | 1.90 |
