Alaves vs Real Madrid: Confirmed starting line-ups in La Liga as Kylian Mbappe returns
Full teams from Alaves vs Real Madrid
Out-of-form Real Madrid are seeking a second win in six La Liga matches when they visit Alaves on Sunday.
Los Blancos are seven points behind leaders Barcelona with a game in hand and followed up a 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday by spurning a lead to lose 2-1 against visitors Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Alaves beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in a derby on December 6 and have taken 14 of their 18 league points at home this season.
101GreatGoals.com has full team news from Alaves vs Real Madrid and you can follow live text updates here.
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Alaves starting lineup vs Madrid
Centre-back Facundo Garces was suspended for 12 months by FIFA in November over alleged document forgery.
Former Barcelona midfielder Carles Alena, who came on as a substitute in the 1-0 derby win at home to Sociedad on Saturday, has recovered from a virus.
“I knew I’d be asked more about our opponents than about Alaves,” said boss Eduardo Coudet. “It’s not my place to comment on that, but Real Madrid are very prestigious opponents and they have a manager who’s earned his position for a reason.
“It will be very difficult because they have a lot of resources, but we will try to maintain our style and take the initiative.
“I enjoy playing these matches – facing the best – and I don’t focus on their form, nor on their injuries.
“Anyone who plays for Real Madrid is very good and, to beat them, we’ll need a great performance. It makes for more complex matches than usual.”
Alaves starting XI: Antonio Sivera, Jonny, Nahuel Tenaglia, Jon Pacheco, Victor Parada, Calebe, Pablo Ibanez, Antonio Blanco, Denis Suarez,, Abde Rebbach, Lucas Boye
Alaves substitutes: Raul Fernandez, Youssef Enriquez, Ander Guevara, Carlos Vicente, Mariano Diaz, Carles Alena, Toni Martínez, Jon Guridi, Moussa Diarra, Carlos Protesoni, Ruben Montero, Aitor Manas
Real Madrid starting lineup vs Alaves
Madrid are heavily depleted in defence, with Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia suspended and David Alaba, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Trent Alexander-Arnold injured.
Defender Víctor Valdepenas, 19, starts, with Arda Guler restored in midfield and 16-goal Liga top scorer Kylian Mbappe returning after missing the defeat to City with knee pain.
“Despite the casualties, we have enough strength to win tomorrow,” said under-pressure manager Xabi Alonso.
“It is a very important game. The most important thing is the team and the club. We want to change the dynamics against tough opponents.”
Forward Endrick is banned.
Real Madrid starting XI: Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, Valde, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouamueni, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Madrid substitutes: Andrii Lunin, Gonzalo Garcia, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Diaz, Dean Huijsen, Jorge Cestero, Franco Mastantuono, Joan Martinez, Sergio Mestre, Thiago Pitarch
How to watch Alaves vs Madrid: Live online stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Sunday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Premier Sports 1 and streaming available on a vast range of devices via the Premier Sports app.
A Premier Sports subscription costs £120 a year, £11.99 per month on a 12-month contract or £16.99 per month with 30 days’ cancellation notice required.
Alaves vs Real Madrid stats
- Alaves have taken 14 of their 18 Liga points at home this season, including 10 of their last 15 available at the Mendizorrotza Stadium
- Getafe (14.1) are the sole team to have a lower expected goals against total than El Glorioso (15) in this season’s Liga
- Only Madrid (7) and Barcelona (5) have been awarded more penalties in the 2025/26 division than Alaves, who have converted all of theirs to ensure only Los Blancos (5) have scored more from the spot
- Coudet’s team have made the fourth-most combined tackles and interceptions in this season’s top flight, behind Sevilla (399), Madrid (400) and Villarreal (402)
- Since the start of the Liga season, Alaves have won the second-most aerial duels (257, behind Osasuna on 265). They have also lost the third-most (246, with Espanyol on 262 and Getafe on 306)
- Mbappe’s 16 league goals for Madrid make the France captain the leading marksman in La Liga, immediately above Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, who has eight
- Mbappe’s four Liga assists mean he has seven more direct Liga goal involvements than the second-most prolific player in that respect, Barca’s Lamine Yamal (who has six goals and seven assists)
- Vinicius Junior (5) is the only other player to have scored more than four goals during Madrid’s opening 16 league matches of the season
- Madrid have the highest completion percentage of short (93.5%), medium (91.6%) and long (64.4%) passes in the 2025/26 division
- They have made the most tackles (57) of any team in this season’s Liga in the attacking third, with Barcelona second on 49