It has been a near-perfect start to the season for Real Madrid, but the La Liga club knows it has little margin for error even in its third match against Malaga on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Kylian Mbappe scored a hat trick to help power Los Blancos past Real Sociedad during the week in a 4-1 win, and he's expected to lead the line at the Bernabeu again as he chases a third consecutive Pichichi, the trophy given to the La Liga top scorer at the end of the season.
With the team humming along, manager Jose Mourniho has little reason to make big modifications to his starting lineup. However, a few questions remain. Offseason addition Marc Cucurella entered at halftime of the win over Real Sociedad for Alvaro Carreras, and Mourinho said in his pre-match news
conference that Cucurella will make his debut in the XI.
Another summer signing, Yan Diomande continues to push for a starting winger role, though Mourinho has to like what he has seen so far from Turkey international Arda Guler, who created five scoring chances midweek.
Here is our projected starting XI for Real Madrid's third match of the 2026-27 La Liga season:
Real Madrid predicted starting lineup vs Malaga
- Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
- Defenders: Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella
- Central midfielders: Federico Valvarde, Bernardo Silva
- Wingers and attacking midfielder: Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr.
- Forward: Kylian Mbappe
When is Real Madrid vs Malaga?
- When: Sunday, Aug. 30
- Where: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (Madrid, Spain)
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
- Channel/streaming: Watch LIVE on ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Real Madrid starting XI vs. Malaga: It's Marc Cucurella's time
