Real Madrid will bid to reach the semifinals of the Copa del Rey and maintain their extensive trophy hunt when they take on Leganes.
Los Blancos suffered a 1-0 La Liga loss to Espanyol last weekend and are still furious about both the result and the officiating in that game, with the defeat meaning they are now just a point clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of the standings.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti said it was “inexplicable” that Carlos Romero was still on the pitch to score what proved to be the winning goal, the player having only been booked for a wild challenge on Kylian Mbappe.
Madrid will need to rally quickly from that disappointment as they enter a critical period of the season.
After this Wednesday’s cup quarterfinal, they face Atletico in a league match on Sunday, just three days before the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout playoff with Manchester City.
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Leganes vs. Real Madrid lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
Enric Franquesa is not likely to return until next season due to an ACL injury, but Leganes are largely looking good in terms of absences.
Sergio Gonzalez was sent off in the defeat to Rayo Vallecano, but his suspension applies only to La Liga, so he will be available.
Leganes predicted lineup (5-4-1, right to left): Soriano (GK) — Altimira, Rosier, Gonzalez, Nastasic, Cruz — Raba, Cisse, Neyou, Rodriguez — Munir
Injured: Franquesa (knee)
Suspended: None
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Antonio Rudiger is facing around three weeks out with a hamstring issue, so changes to defence must be made for this game. David Alaba and Raul Asencio are likely to start at centre-back.
Aside from Rudiger and long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, Madrid’s injury picture looks reasonably good. That said, Ancelotti is likely to make some changes to the team from the weekend defeat.
Luka Modric could come in to midfield, perhaps in place of Dani Ceballos, while Brahim Diaz or Arda Guler may get a start in attack. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin will probably get a game as it’s a cup competition.
Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Lunin (GK) — Vazquez, Asencio, Alaba, Garcia — Modric, Valverde — Diaz, Bellingham, Vinicius — Mbappe
Injured: Rudiger (hamstring), Carvajal (knee), Militao (knee)
Suspended: Aguado
Leganes vs. Real Madrid live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Copa del Rey match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — | — |
| UK | — | bet365* |
| Australia | — | — |
| India | — | FanCode |
*Requires account
