Racing Santander vs Real Madrid: Where to watch, Preview, Line-Ups and Odds

Ryan Murray

Following last Sunday’s statement win over arch-rivals Barcelona, Real Madrid face a tricky trip to newly promoted Racing Santander this weekend.

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Jose Alberto’s men have made an encouraging start on their return to Spain’s top tier, entirely thanks to an exemplary home record. Villarreal and Valencia are the only visiting teams to have taken a share of the spoils at the Estadio El Sardinero, which is quickly being turned into a fortress.

Los Verdiblancos will feel content with their current mid-table position, but finding a more consistent level of performance could see them make a credible bid for the European places.

Having lost all five of their league away fixtures this term, Racing Santander are yet to record back-to-back victories.

Furthermore, no LaLiga outfit has conceded more goals this season than Sunday’s hosts, who are still searching for their first clean sheet.

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Meanwhile, Real Madrid are suddenly clicking into gear. Since that disappointing 2-1 defeat at the Metropolitano just before the international break, Madrid have won each of their last five matches across all competitions.

The most recent victory in that sequence came in the season’s first El Clásico, the result of which enabled both Madrid outfits to gain ground on league leaders Barcelona.

Now just three points behind the reigning champions, Jose Mourinho’s side will be eager to build on their momentum this weekend.

However, given their recent league away form, securing a positive result in Cantabria is far from a foregone conclusion. The 15-time Champions League winners have already been beaten twice on the road this term, with a 1-0 loss to Real Betis preceding their aforementioned defeat in the Madrid derby.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch Real take on Racing on Premier Sports, but will need a subscription to access this pay-per-view platform.

Racing Santander vs Real Madrid – Key information

Date: Sunday 1st November

Kick-off time: 15:15 (GMT)

Venue: Estadio El Sardinero

Referee: TBC

VAR: TBC

TV Channels/Live stream: Premier Sports 2, Premier Sports Player

Odds: Racing Santander: 9/1, Draw: 13/2, Real Madrid: 2/9

Odds provided by bet365

Racing Santander team news

Jose Alberto almost has a full complement to choose from, after making eleven changes for Thursday’s Copa del Rey triumph over sixth-tier Ribadesella.

Jorge Salinas serves a one-match suspension due to picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last Saturday, leaving Racing without their first-choice left-back. A reported target of both Barcelona and Manchester United, the talented teenager claimed his second assist of the season in midweek.

Having picked up a knock against Espanyol, there was originally some doubt over the condition of Matteo Prati. The young Italian midfielder – currently navigating a season-long loan from Serie A side Cagliari – resumed full training on Tuesday and is therefore available to face Real Madrid.

In the same match, Andrés Martín made his first start since recovering from the knee sprain he sustained during the Cantabrians’ 3-2 triumph over Elche.

There was also a rare appearance for Pedro Felipe, who has already suffered two injuries this term. After a minor hamstring tear led to his early withdrawal on the opening weekend of the season, the Brazilian central defender experienced discomfort in his thigh during a routine training session. However, he came through an eight-minute cameo on Saturday afternoon without incurring any further damage.

Moroccan frontman Yassir Zabiri will once again lead the line, hoping to add to his impressive goals tally. Racing Santander’s top scorer has already found the net on eight occasions this term, a statistic aided by a sensational first-half hat-trick in that entertaining contest with Elche.

Racing Santander predicted line-up vs Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)

Coach: José Alberto

Julen Agirrezabala (GK); Álvaro Mantilla, Pablo Ramón, Jeanuël Belocian, Aarón Martín; Iván Martín, Matteo Prati; Andrés Martín, Sergio Canales, Iñigo Vicente, Yassir Zabiri

Real Madrid team news

Although unable to call upon the services of a handful of first-team players, José Mourinho will still be able to field a strong XI at the Estadio El Sardinero.

After soldiering on with a stress fracture in his right tibia for an extended period, Raúl Asencio has eventually undergone surgery to address the issue. The Gran Canarian was earlier sidelined with a quad issue, so his game time has been extremely limited this term.

Rodrygo hasn’t featured since rupturing his Achilles tendon back in March, while international teammate Éder Militão is approaching full fitness following a long-term hamstring complaint. There is still no fixed return date for French defender Ferland Mendy, who is recovering from yet another serious muscle injury.

A short bout of illness caused Thibaut Courtois to miss Real Madrid’s visit to the Camp Nou, enabling Andriy Lunin to make his first start of the season. The Ukrainian stopper provided more than adequate cover, but expect Courtois to be back between the sticks.

Federico Valverde developed a hamstring issue during Sunday’s El Clásico, resulting in him being withdrawn around the hour mark. Although there was some initial concern regarding the severity of the problem, further assessments provided the Uruguayan with the all-clear. Nevertheless, Mourinho may choose to rest his captain following a busy run of fixtures.

The Portuguese tactician could opt to take the same approach with Arda Güler, as medical staff attend to the young playmaker’s muscular fatigue.

However, Vinícius Júnior certainly won’t feature this weekend. The Brazilian international is only midway through his four-match ban, which will put him out of domestic action until next month’s international break.

Real Madrid predicted line-up vs Racing Santander (4-2-3-1)

Coach: José Mourinho

Thibaut Courtois (GK); Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella; Bernardo Silva, Aurélien Tchouaméni; Brahim Díaz, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomandé; Kylian Mbappé

Where to watch on TV or live stream?

Sunday’s contest will be televised exclusively live on Premier Sports 2, while online viewers can follow events at the Estadio El Sardinero via the Premier Sports Player. In the hours leading up to kick-off, live coverage of the lunchtime clash between Getafe and Sevilla will be available on the same channel.

Alongside Disney+ and LaLiga TV, Premier Sports is one of three broadcasters that show Spanish top-flight action in the UK. However, as they’re able to screen over 340 LaLiga matches each season, Premier Sports dominates this particular market.

Head-to-Head record

Although it certainly won’t be an easy afternoon for the visitors, the omens suggest an away victory is the most likely outcome.

Racing Santander have lost nine of the last ten league meetings between these two sides, with the only exception in this sequence being a goalless draw in their second most recent clash. Another failure on Sunday would equal their second-longest winless run against Real Madrid, matching an unwanted record that has stood for over three decades.

As if that evidence wasn’t damning enough, no team has inflicted more home defeats on Racing throughout LaLiga’s history than Real Madrid.

Alongside Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, Los Blancos have left Santander with maximum points on 16 separate occasions. It’s therefore unsurprising that Sunday’s hosts have conceded a colossal 67 goals across 44 home encounters with Real Madrid, with Barça being the only LaLiga outfit to better this statistic.