Real Madrid continue the defence of their La Liga crown on Sunday afternoon when they welcome Girona to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Despite dumping Manchester City out of the Champions League midweek, things are not perfect for Madrid. They have failed to win any of their last three La Liga matches, with dropped points allowing Barcelona to overtake them in the standings.

Victory at home to Girona is of paramount importance to their title bid and should be achieved relatively comfortably given the underwhelming form of the Catalan side. Even without the suspended Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos should waltz to three points on Sunday.

Here is how Carlo Ancelotti could line his side up against Girona.

GK: Thibaut Courtois – The former Chelsea stopper would have expected to be busier on Wednesday evening but was rarely tested by Man City’s forward line. Girona are unlikely to call him into action too often.

RB: Lucas Vazquez – The return of Vazquez to the bench midweek means that Federico Valverde should return to midfield on Sunday as Madrid search for a first clean sheet in February.

CB: Raul Asencio – David Alaba made a brief cameo against Man City but will not be rushed back into the starting XI given his injury record. For the time being, the impressive Asencio should retain his spot in the lineup.

CB: Antonio Rudiger – Ruidger also made his comeback from injury against Man City and offered a characteristically defiant performance against the reigning Premier League champions.

LB: Ferland Mendy – Fran Garcia has been preferred in recent La Liga outings but with the Champions League play-off round out of the way, Mendy could return in domestic competition. He will be kept busy by livewire Viktor Tsygankov on Sunday.

CM: Federico Valverde – Valverde produced an all-action display from right-back midweek but will be pleased to return to the comfort of the engine room. The Uruguayan’s boundless energy will be key with Bellingham missing.

CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – Similarly to Valverde, the Frenchman will be grateful for his return to midfield after filling in at centre-back during recent games. He’s been far from his best this term but always looks more comfortable in the centre of the pitch.

CM: Dani Ceballos – Ceballos has been a surprise revelation over recent weeks and served up another eye-catching display in Europe on Wednesday. He will dictate the tempo in his deep-lying function.

RW: Rodrygo – Rodrygo has been overshadowed by his more glamorous attacking teammates since the beginning of the month but is still instrumental to Madrid’s success with his speed and ingenuity down the right-hand side.

ST: Kylian Mbappe – An exquisite hat-trick on Wednesday reminded the world what Mbappe remains capable of despite a mixed start to life in Spanish football. He’s found form over the past few months and has scored 13 times in his last ten matches.

LW: Vinicius Junior – The Brazilian hasn’t scored in his last six matches, which is a significant drought for a player of his ability. He will want to end that run against a Girona side struggling for defensive stability.