Spanish giants Real Madrid will fight it out in their fourth fixture of La Liga 2019-20 against Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on September 14.
The Madrid-based side will look forward to get back to the winning terms after they were held by Villarreal in their last fixture whereas Levante will want to continue on their winning form after they defeated Real Valladolid in their third fixture of the league.
Preview, Prediction and Schedule
After having a miserable season in 2018-19 the Los Blancos started this year's campaign in style with a 3-1 away win against Celta Vigo. But in their last two fixtures they were held by Real Valladolid and Villarreal respectively.
Zinedine Zidane's men will want to get back to the winning ways before they fight it out against PSG in their first UEFA Champions League fixture this season.
Gareth Bale, who scored two goals in the fixture against the Yellow Submarines and squeezed out a draw, was sent off in the dying minutes of the match. This will be a huge blow for the Los Blancos as Bale has been an integral part of the squad.
But with the probability of Eden Hazard back in the ranks after recovering from injury, Spanish giants who are now placed fifth in the league table can hopefully putt up a strong show.
Moreover, midfielder Luka Modric, who was supposed to come into the squad after serving suspension, suffered an injury and is out of the fixture. The absence of the Croat playmaker will be a major setback to the French manager as he adds on a lot of stability to the defence.
Los Blancos will definitely want to win the fixture in their own backyard and stay high on confidence before the first away fixture of the European tournament.
On the other hand, Valencia-based club Levante have been enjoying a two-match winning streak after a major hiccup at the start of their campaign away at Alaves.
The Granotas, with late goals from substitute Sergio Leon and Jose Luis Morales Nogales, added three points to their tally in an equally contested fixture against Real Valladolid.
Paco Lopez's men managed to squeeze out a 2-1 win last season at the Bernabeu and will look forward to repeating that feat. The Granotas are yet to win an away fixture this season and if they manage to register their first away victory at Madrid it will be a major booster to their La Liga campaign.
Currently, the Valencia-based club is placed fourth on the table and will look forward to completing a top-10 finish this time around as they held the 15th spot last season.
In their previous campaign, the biggest problem for the Granotas was the number of goals they conceded but with a reformed squad in this year's edition of the league, the fans will hope a better defensive performance from Levante.
They will definitely try to register a victory at the Losa Blancos' home ground which will help them in their quest for a top-10 finish.
The Madrid-based side are definitely the favourite to win this fixture with the probability of Eden Hazard featuring and in the starting eleven and James Rodigruez on the bench adding firepower to their attack in the absence of Gareth Bale.
But the Granotas are enjoying a good run currently. Considering their records in the recent past at the Bernabeu they can produce another upset and give a major setback to the Los Blancos before their first Champions League fixture.
The Real Madrid- Levante match will start at 1 PM local time and 4.30 PM IST on September 14.
Live Streaming: How and where to watch in India
The match will not be telecast in India as Sony Sports network did not get the broadcasting rights. The fixture will be streamed live on the official La Liga page on Facebook.
