Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. C.F. Pachuca: FIFA Intercontinental Cup

The FIFA Intercontinental Cup final gives Los Blancos the chance to end the year with silverware.

Real Madrid take on C.F. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final. / IMAGO/Sportimage

Real Madrid can lift their second trophy of the season with a victory over C.F. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.

Real Madrid have endured a rather tumultuous start to the 2024–25 season. Los Blancos already suffered five defeats across all competitions in the last four months and once again dropped points at the weekend in La Liga. The defending Spanish champions only managed a 3–3 draw with Rayo Vallecano and saw themselves drop to third in the La Liga standings.

After the disappointing result, Real Madrid headed to Qatar for their impending showdown with Liga MX's C.F. Pachuca. Carlo Ancelotti will still be without injured Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão, but Kylian Mbappé is surprisingly available. The Frenchman sustained a thigh injury on Dec. 10, but returned to training earlier than expected and can feature from the start or off the bench.

Here's what Real Madrid's XI could look like on Dec. 18.

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Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. C.F. Pachuca (4-3-3)

GK: Thibaut Courtois—Courtois will need more help from his backline if he wants to keep a clean sheet on Wednesday.

RB: Lucas Vázquez—The Spaniard can celebrate his 370th appearance for Real Madrid with another piece of silverware.

CB: Aurélien Tchouaméni—Despite calls for Raúl Asencio to replace Tchouaméni, expect Ancelotti to stick with the Frenchman alongside Rüdiger.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—The German international will look to bounce back after a rare poor performance at the weekend.

LB: Fran García—García was too often caught out against Rayo Vallecano and must contribute more defensively for Real Madrid to find success.

CM: Fede Valverde—Valverde's opener on Saturday proved he is always one strike away from burying a brilliant goal from distance.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga—After returning from injury at the weekend, the Frenchman gets the nod in the midfield for the first time since Nov. 27.

CM: Jude Bellingham—Bellingham has found the back of the net in five consecutive matches across all competitions. He remains the best playmaker for Real Madrid.

RW: Rodrygo—The Brazilian bagged a goal and an assist against Rayo Vallecano and looked every bit the player who scored 15 goals last season.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—All signs point to Mbappé getting the nod up top after the Frenchman recovered quicker than expected from his thigh injury.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—Fresh off winning this year's The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, Vinícius Júnior looks to add to his 13 goals on the season.

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