After a rigorous December Madrid faces a tougher January with nine matches in four competitions
After a short Christmas break, Real Madrid faces a demanding month of January with a possible nine games awaiting Carlo Ancelotti’s men in the first month of 2025.
The Italian coach stated ahead of the break: “First of all, we need to rest. We have given the players an individual programme of three training sessions. I think they will come back well and will not lose anything fitness-wise in a week. They need to relax and have a good time with their families and when we come back, we need to be ready. We have a game very soon: on January 3, against Valencia".
The first team squad will return to training on 30 December.
To start the year, ‘Los Blancos’ head to Mestalla to face Valencia with the match originally suspended due to the tragic flooding with the match supposed to have been played at the beginning of November.
Madrid are then involved in cup competition with the first up being a Copa del Rey third-round clash against 2A RFEF (fourth tier) side Deportiva Minera in Cartagena on January 6.
Three days later, on January 9, the Spanish Super Cup tournament starts in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) as Madrid faces Real Mallorca in the semi-final of the final four tournaments. Should they advance to the final, ‘Los Blancos’ would face the winner of the other semi-final which pits Athletic Club against Barcelona with that game scheduled for Sunday, 12 January.
Rival Competition Date KO time (ET)
Valencia League Jan. 3rd 3 pm
CD Minera Cup Jan. 6th at 1 pm
Mallorca Super Cup Jan. 9th at 2 pm
*Super Cup Final Super Cup Jan. 12th at 2 pm
*To be determined Cup Jan. 15/16 TBC
Las Palmas League Jan. 19th 10:15
RB Salzburg UCL January 22 3 pm
Valladolid League Jan. 25/26 TBC
Brest UCL Jan.29th 3pm
The following midweek slot is dedicated to the Copa del Rey and assuming Ancelotti’s men overcome Deportiva Minera, they will be back in fourth-round action.
Thoughts then turn to the domestic league championship (19 January), when they face in-form Las Palmas at the Bernabeu.
The only other home game of the month sees the relentless pace continue as the Champions League returns with RB Salzburg the visitors to the Spanish capital with Madrid needing a win to cling on to outside hope of bagging a top-eight finish.
Ancelotti’s men then travel to Valladolid (on 25 or 26 January, before closing out their participation in this first phase of the new Champions League format as they head to face Brest in Guingamp on Wednesday, January 29 (3:00 p.m. ET). The French team has been one of the surprise packages of the new ‘Swiss Model’ format as both sides wrap up their eighth and final match of the UCL league format.
