Sevilla vs. Real Madrid Lineups: Mbappé, Bellingham, and Carvajal Return to Starting XI

The upcoming clash in La Liga's penultimate 37th round between Sevilla and Real Madrid pits two teams in vastly different psychological states. For the visitors from the capital, the season is practically over in the title race, as Barcelona has already secured the championship, leaving the "White Ballet" in second place with 80 points and no trophy. For Sevilla, however, the stakes are immense. The Andalusians sit 12th with 43 points, and while they are 4 points clear of the relegation zone, they still have a theoretical chance to even contend for 7th place, which grants qualification for European competitions and is currently held by Getafe with 48 points.

Real Madrid arrives in Seville reeling from a series of scandals that have plagued the last month. Tensions escalated with a physical altercation at the training ground between Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, leading to hefty fines. President Florentino Pérez further fueled the fire with a sharp press conference on May 13th, attacking the media and announcing new elections. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa also exchanged words with star Kylian Mbappé. It's clear the young manager has lost control of the dressing room, and this will likely be one of his last matches at the helm of the "White Ballet," with the club actively seeking his replacement at the Santiago Bernabéu, most likely José Mourinho.

Sevilla is enjoying an excellent resurgence under the guidance of Luis García Plaza. The team has recorded three consecutive league victories – against Villarreal (3-2), Espanyol (2-1), and Real Sociedad (1-0). These results have helped the team distance themselves from the danger zone, despite previous defeats to Osasuna and Levante. The home advantage at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán will be crucial for their ambitions to stop the Madrid giants.

Real Madrid has shown inconsistent form recently, alternating wins with disappointments. In their last five matches, Álvaro Arbeloa's squad has secured three victories (against Real Oviedo, Espanyol, and Alavés), one draw with Betis, and a painful 0-2 loss to eternal rivals Barcelona. The lack of competitive motivation in the league seems to be affecting the team's concentration, as they appear more preoccupied with internal issues than with what's happening on the pitch.

Statistics overwhelmingly favor Madrid – Sevilla has not beaten this opponent in their last 14 encounters across all competitions. Earlier this season, Real won 2-0 at the Bernabéu with goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé.

The hosts, Sevilla, will be without the injured Marcao and Manu Bueno. In attack, the Andalusians will rely on Nigerian Akor Adams and French forward Neal Maupay.

In the Real Madrid camp, the list of absentees is long: Rodrygo, Arda Güler, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, and Federico Valverde will miss the match. Andriy Lunin is also injured, and Dani Ceballos is once again out of the squad.

Arbeloa has made almost a complete overhaul of the squad from the midweek 2-0 victory over Oviedo. The biggest news is the return of top scorer Kylian Mbappé to the starting lineup, replacing Gonzalo García and partnering with Vinicius. Jude Bellingham and Tiago Pitarque have been preferred over Franco Mastantuono and Eduardo Camavinga. Antonio Rüdiger and Dani Carvajal also start, with the entire defensive quartet revamped, as Dean Huijsen and Fran García also begin. Thibaut Courtois will once again be between the posts.