Story byOfficial: Real Madrid starting lineup against Levante – Mbappe, Bellingham backMadrid UniversalSat, January 17, 2026 at 11:46 AM UTC·1 min readReal Madrid will be aiming to secure their first win under manager Alvaro Arbeloa as they get set to take on Levante in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu. Having lost their last two matches against Barcelona in the Super Cup and Albacete in the Copa del Rey, the Merengues will be gunning for all three points to cut the gap to leaders Barcelona. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAhead of kickoff, Arbeloa has announced the starting XI that will take the field against Levante, with the big news being that of Kylian Mbappe returning to the team. The French superstar has fully recovered from his physical problems and will lead the attack for Real Madrid, where he will have support from Gonzalo Garcia and Vinicius Jr. In midfield, there is a complete reshuffle as Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga all start, after not featuring in the cup tie against Albacete. As for the defensive line, Federico Valverde returns to the right-back position for Real Madrid while Alvaro Carreras returns to the team, lining up on the left. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDean Huijsen and Raul Asencio continue as the two centre-backs, while Thibaut Courtois reclaims his place in the team as the starting goalkeeper.".