Overview
- Kickoff is 20:00 GMT at the Bernabéu as Real target only a second league win in five to close the gap at the top.
- Kylian Mbappé enters on 55 goals for 2025, four short of Cristiano Ronaldo’s club calendar‑year mark of 59, with Xabi Alonso praising his impact.
- Defensive absences stack up: Trent Alexander‑Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy are out, David Alaba and Dean Huijsen are also missing, and Eduardo Camavinga is in the squad but a doubt.
- Real beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in midweek with a Mbappé brace, halting a domestic wobble after an electric start to the season.
- Home form and history favor Madrid—six wins from six at the Bernabéu and 19 unbeaten against Celta—though the visitors’ road record is solid despite three defeats in their last four.