Real Madrid vs. Mallorca Super Cup Line Up: Ancelotti makes changes

For a Spanish Super Cup semi-final meeting with RCD Mallorca, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make a number of changes to his starting XI compared to the one that last played in the Copa del Rey against Deportivo Minera.

The latter clash, a 5-0 win which set up a last-16 clash with Celta Vigo, saw Ancelotti give debuts to a pair of La Fabrica talents, while the likes of Endrick made rare starts.

But for the match in Saudi Arabia, where victory means meeting arch-rivals FC Barcelona in the decider – after the Catalans saw off the Basques 2-0 on Wednesday – the Italian will go full force against last season’s Copa del Rey runners-up.

Ancelotti is more than familiar with Mallorca and promised that the way his side approach the game “is not going to change”, despite this being a Super Cup game and not a La Liga one.

“We know the opposition very well and they know us. It will be very competitive, they gave us a lot of problems in La Liga. They have good qualities and can fight for the game.”

“I don’t want to compare what has changed with (Javier) Aguirre’s team,” he said at another point in a pre-match press conference, where Ancelotti voiced opposition to Vinicius’ two-game suspension, which will not be served in the Super The cup.

“They defend very well, like all (Jagoba) Arrasate’s teams. They take advantage of the value of their players. That’s my idea of ​​how a coach should be: to take advantage of the players’ virtues,” Ancelotti added regarding Aguirre’s replacement at midfield , that the Mexican takes over the reins of his country’s national team.

Although he has often been critical of a crowded calendar in football’s modern era, Ancelotti emphasized that “when there is a title at stake, this team keeps focus and concentration very high”.

“We have managed this period well. We have had a week’s rest and we have taken the opportunity to rest, come back well and motivated”.

Because of this, he can field his strongest possible team – injuries taken into account.

It consists of Thibaut Courtois in goal, protected by a backline of Ferland Mendy at left-back, Toni Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back, and captain Lucas Vazquez at right-back.

Eduardo Camavinga partners with Fede Valverde in a double pivot. But more advanced is Jude Bellingham, flanked by wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius on the right and left.

In a lone striker number 9, Kylian Mbappe is chasing his third piece of silverware in Madrid since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Real Madrid Starting XI vs. Majorca: Courtois; Mendy, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Vazquez; Camavinga, Valverde; Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrygo; Mbappe