Fans reacted to the inclusion of right-back David Jimenez in Real Madrid’s starting line-up for their La Liga clash at Valencia on Sunday (February 8), while summer signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was named on the bench.
Jimenez, 21, is making his first La Liga start of the season. In his only other league outing this campaign, he appeared for a minute in the 2-0 home win over Sevilla last month.
Thanks for the submission!
Fans are far from enthused with the Spaniard starting at the Mestalla as Los Blancos look to stay in touch with leaders Barcelona.
“‘Jimenez’ yeah we’re cooked,” one wrote.
“Yeah, we are getting cooked lmao, Jimenez gimmick against Valencia away,” another commented.
“Lunin?? Jimenez?? This club is not serious,” one wrote.
“Bold decision from Arbeloa to play Jimenez in such an intense game. Hope he does well,” commented another.
Los Blancos are on a six-game winning run in the league, where they are second in the standings, four points behind Barcelona, who thumped Real Mallorca 3-0 at home on Saturday to remain top.
“We are aware of the difficulty of the match” – Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa previews Valencia trip
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa – who succeeded his compatriot Xabi Alonso last month – is well aware of what lies in store when his team travel to Valencia in La Liga on Sunday.
In his pre-match press conference a day earlier, the Spaniard acknowledged the quality of the opposition and the work done by their boss Carlos Corberan, who had arrived at the Mestalla helm in December 2024.
“We are very aware of the difficulty of the match,” Arbeloa said (as per Los Blancos’ website).
“Visits to Mestalla are always tough due to the atmosphere and the great team they have. Also, because of the excellent work Corberán has been doing since he arrived. We are very focused, knowing we have to give our best if we want the three points, which is our goal.”
“For all teams, beating Real Madrid is one of the challenges of the year. For Valencia, that will undoubtedly be the case, and we know the difficulty will be maximum.”
It’s pertinent to note that Los Blancos won the reverse fixture 4-0 at home in November, with striker Kylian Mbappe starring with a brace, while Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras also got on the scoresheet.
Edited by Bhargav
