Real Madrid vs Leganes preview, H2H, team news, line-ups, and prediction

Real Madrid will hope to mount pressure on table leaders Barcelona when they welcome a relegation-battling Leganés side to the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, March 29th.

The race for the 2024-25 LaLiga title is getting tense, with Barcelona, Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid all in contention.

The Los Blancos are in second place with 57 points, equal to the number of points of first-placed Barcelona, who lead by goal difference.

They’re also a point above Atletico Madrid, whom they knocked out of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on penalties.

A penalty shootout was needed to decide the winner after a 2-2 aggregate draw following extra time in the second leg on Wednesday. Los Blancos converted four of their five spot-kicks, securing a last-eight clash with Arsenal.

For now, their focus shifts away from the Champions League, with crucial league fixtures against Villarreal and Leganés before the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Real Sociedad on April 1.

Last weekend, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, bringing their tally to 57 points from 27 matches—placing them second in the table behind Barcelona on head-to-head record, though the Catalan side has a game in hand.

This weekend could prove pivotal in the title race, as Barcelona visit third-placed Atlético on Sunday evening. A slip-up from either rival would allow Madrid to capitalise.

Carlo Ancelotti’s squad has sometimes lacked consistency this season and struggled against Atlético in their last outing. However, with the quality at their disposal, they remain challenging to count out.

These teams previously clashed in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in February, delivering one of the season’s most thrilling encounters at the Estadio Municipal Butarque.

Madrid seemed to have control early on, racing to a 2-0 lead within 25 minutes. Luka Modric, at 39, extended his record as the club’s oldest goalscorer with a composed finish from Rodrygo’s pass. Brazilian teenager Endrick then doubled the advantage.

Leganés fought back through Juan Cruz, who converted a penalty before netting a deflected effort to bring his side level. With extra time looming, Brahim Díaz surged down the right and delivered a cross for Gonzalo García, who marked his senior debut with a dramatic late winner, securing Madrid’s place in the semi-finals.

Leganés now head into this league encounter following a 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo, where they surrendered an early lead at the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos.

Borja Jiménez’s team has gathered four points from their last five outings, climbing out of the relegation zone into 17th place with 27 points from 27 matches.

However, Los Pepineros remain in a precarious position, sitting just one point above 18th-placed Alavés. Their upcoming fixtures against Real Betis and Real Madrid could be decisive in their battle for survival.

Leganés have yet to secure consecutive league wins this season and have struggled away from home, managing just 10 points from 13 road games. However, their only away victory was a significant one—a 1-0 triumph over Barcelona in December.

Despite their struggles, the Pepineros have shown resilience in high-stakes matches. They pushed Madrid to the brink in the Copa del Rey and ended Atlético’s long unbeaten streak with a 1-0 win in January. As they prepare to visit the Santiago Bernabéu on 29th March, they’ll be eager to cause another upset.

Real Madrid vs. Leganés match details

• Date: Sunday, 29th March, 2025
• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Venue: Santiago Bernabéu
• Kick-off time: 08:00 PM GMT
• Tickets: You can buy Real Madrid vs Leganes tickets from the club exchanges or via a trusted reseller such as Seatsnet.com.

Match stats and head-to-head

• Leganés have won just two of their last eight games across all competitions. The wins came against Atletico in January and Getafe early in March, marking their second win in three months.

• The Pepineros have conceded at least two goals in six of their last seven games across all competitions, with the only exception being the 1-0 win over Getafe.

• Borja Jiménez’s side has kept a clean sheet and finished the game with the same scoreline in their last three victories in Laliga, playing out 1-0 wins against Barcelona, Atletico, and Getafe.

• Leganés have lost five of their last seven games across all competitions, including the dramatic 3-2 loss to Madrid in the Copa del Rey.

• Madrid have dominated recent meetings with Leganés, winning 12 of their last 16 encounters, while Leganés have managed just two victories.

• Leganés have struggled away from home this season, picking up 10 points from 13 away games.

• Madrid are unbeaten in their last five clashes with Leganés across all competitions, though two of those ended in draws.

• Leganés have failed to defeat Real Madrid in over six years, with their last triumph coming in a 1-0 LaLiga win back in January 2019.

Team news

Ferland Mendy is set to miss out due to the muscle issue that forced him off against Atlético, while Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Dani Ceballos, and Jesús Vallejo remain unavailable.

Carlo Ancelotti is expected to make some changes from the previous lineup, with Fran García likely to start at left-back and Lucas Vázquez coming in on the right. Luka Modrić may drop to the bench, but given the match’s significance, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and Kylian Mbappé are all expected to start.

As for Leganes, Renato Tapia returned to the starting lineup in the 2-1 loss to Celta Vigo after serving a suspension.

Munir El Haddadi is now available for selection after serving his suspension. The Moroccan forward had been sidelined due to a straight red card against Alavés but is set to return for the club’s next run of games against Real Betis and Madrid.

Yvan Neyou faces a late fitness test on a muscular problem, while Enric Franquesa is a long-term absentee with a serious knee injury.

Midfielder Yvan Neyou passed a late fitness test to start in midfield against Celta. The Cameroonian is expected to retain his place in central midfield alongside Seydouba Cissé.

Predicted starting lineup

Real Madrid predicted starting lineup:

Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, F. Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius.

Leganes predicted starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; Rosier, S. Gonzalez, Tapia, Nastasic, J. Hernandez; Raba, Cisse, Neyou, Brasanac; De la Fuente.

Prediction

A league-chasing Madrid side face relegation-threatening Leganés side at the Bernabéu so fans with Real Madrid tickets will be expecting a comfortable win.

Madrid could have flashbacks about recent encounters against teams in the lower half of the table, with the loss to Espanyol highlighting why they can’t write off anyone at this stage.

Although Leganés’s form, particularly away from home, has been disappointing this season, they’ve been able to produce results against top teams. It took a last-minute moment of magic from academy star Diaz to secure the win for Madrid the last time they faced them.

Their 1-0 wins against Barcelona and Atletico demonstrate that they can hold their fort against top teams. They’ll look to test their resolve against a Madrid side that are basking in their UEFA Champions League win.

However, Madrid’s superior quality could be the difference in this game, and Vinicius will be eager to make his mark after his disappointing performance against Atletico.

We’re predicting a 3-0 win for Madrid.