Real Madrid's Big Questions Before Leipzig & Barcelona | News Roundup

The Real Deal: A Real Madrid Podcast

José Mourinho has plenty of decisions to make as Real Madrid prepare for a massive week against RB Leipzig and Barcelona. With questions surrounding Vinícius Jr.'s place in the team, Arda Güler's role in midfield, and reports of growing pressure on Mourinho, how should Madrid approach the next two games? Sid and Loconte discuss Mourinho's latest press conference, his plans for Vinícius, and the case for rotating the squad against Leipzig ahead of El Clásico. We also break down our strongest possible Real Madrid XI, including how Güler, Bellingham, Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Yan Diomande can fit together. Elsewhere, we examine conflicting reports about Mourinho's future, rumors of Trent returning to Liverpool, and the latest La Liga refereeing controversies involving Arda Güler and Barcelona's match against Betis. Finally, we turn to Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the new NBA season. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro: Real Madrid's massive week ahead 01:00 Mourinho's press conference and Vinícius Jr. 03:04 Diomande's partnership with Mbappé 04:00 Mourinho on Güler, Valverde and his tactical system 07:20 Güler in the pivot and Leipzig lineup predictions 11:25 Barcelona's injury problems and El Clásico 13:31 Mourinho under pressure? Reports and rebuttals 15:56 Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool return rumors 17:38 Our strongest possible Real Madrid XI 19:36 Arda Güler, Betis and La Liga refereeing controversies 23:58 The Negreira case and refereeing statistics 28:04 Barcelona vs PSG lineups and Champions League discussion 32:05 Luka Dončić and the Lakers' upcoming season 37:30 The Lakers' biggest X-factors 41:34 NBA predictions: Who can stop Wembanyama? 43:17 Closing thoughts HOSTS: Sid: @agarthasid Loconte: @Loconteee Follow The Real Deal on X: @realdealpodz Subscribe for independent Real Madrid analysis, match reactions, tactical discussions and exclusive members' episodes.