Alvaro Arbeloa has defended the decision to give his Real Madrid players two additional rest days in the lead-up to Sunday's visit to Valencia.

Arbeloa has endured a mixed start to his reign at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid winning three straight games in LaLiga but suffering embarrassing results in other competitions.

They were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier Albacete and conceded a stoppage-time goal to goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin during a dramatic Champions League defeat to Benfica, which cost them automatic qualification for the round of 16.

Arbeloa's approach to training was questioned by the Spanish media this week, with Madrid's players pictured wearing hypoxia masks, which simulate the effects of high altitudes, during drills, while they were also given back-to-back days off.

Addressing that subject at his pre-match press conference, Arbeloa said: "I see it as a way of preparing the players in the best way to face the week. The physical aspect plays a very important role. 

"Since I took charge of the team until the day of the Rayo Vallecano match, 20 days have passed, and the players had two days off. I will continue to manage it in the best way possible."

Madrid are four points behind leaders Barcelona with a game in hand, following the Blaugrana's 3-0 success over Mallorca on Saturday, but Arbeloa says his team have several more gears to go through.

He added: "Great teams need to do many things well to win. We need to be able to execute many things simultaneously, have automatisms, and think the same way. 

"That is only achieved through hard work and hours of dedication. The attitudes all remain as good as ever. We're still far from our peak."

Madrid won November's reverse fixture against Valencia – who are 16th and just one point clear of the relegation zone – 4-0, when Xabi Alonso was still Los Blancos' head coach.

Asked about the main differences between Arbeloa's team and Alonso's side, Valencia boss Carlos Corberan said: "One can always see nuances between different coaches. 

"Madrid always has an essence that is verticality, pressure and being dangerous in open spaces. That is part of Madrid's identity. Then each player and coach can give it nuances. 

"With Arbeloa, although he has only been there for a few weeks, you see nuances in his defensive structure, which has a different organisation in his own half. Xabi was looking for more high pressure. For me that is the main difference."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Valencia – Hugo Duro

Valencia forward Duro has scored five goals in nine LaLiga appearances against  Madrid, his joint-most against a single opponent in the competition (also five against Atletico Madrid).

Duro is Valencia's leading scorer in the top tier this term, with seven goals to his name.

Real Madrid – Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe is the joint-top scorer in Europe's five big leagues this season, alongside Harry Kane (22 goals each).

The France star has also netted more penalties across these competitions than any other player (eight).

MATCH PREDICTION: REAL MADRID WIN

Valencia have won two of their last six LaLiga matches against Madrid (D1 L3), as many victories as they managed in their previous 12 encounters in the competition (W2 D2 L8).

Indeed, Madrid have lost five of their last 11 games at the Mestalla in LaLiga (W3 D3), suffering more defeats there than at any other away ground in the competition since the start of the 2014-15 season.

Valencia are also unbeaten in their last six home games in LaLiga (W2 D4), their longest unbeaten run at the Mestalla in the competition since March 2024, under Ruben Baraja (11 games – W6 D5).

So the hosts should be expected to put up a fight, but Madrid are still firm favourites.

Though they have struggled in other competitions lately, Los Blancos have won their last six games in LaLiga and could record seven consecutive victories in the same league season for the first time since a run of nine, between March and May 2024.

And after winning his first three matches in charge in LaLiga, Arbeloa could become the sixth coach to win his first four games with Madrid in the competition, after Jose Quirante (1929), Enrique Fernandez (1953), Vanderlei Luxemburgo (2005), Manuel Pellegrini (2009) and Alonso (2025).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Valencia – 20.3%

Real Madrid – 57.2%

Draw – 22.5%