Real Madrid will be looking to all but seal their progress to the Champions League round of 16 with victory over reigning Italian champions Juventus at the Santiago Bernabéu tonight.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid have dominated their first two matches in the group stage this season against Galatasaray and Copenhagen, scoring an incredible ten goals and conceding just one.
Juventus, on the other hand, have struggled. They have drawn both their matches and left themselves in a precarious position where they may struggle to finish 2nd if they do not get results in the two now crucial games against Real.
However, that is not to doubt the quality of this Juventus team, who have enjoyed great success under Antonio Conte. Their central midfield area is one of the best in Europe and this year they have strengthened debatably their weakest area, their strikers, with Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tévez.
Madrid will look to expose Juventus’ 3-5-1-1 formation in the wide areas, as Stephan Lichsteiner’s injury means there will be a start for Martín Cáceres at right wing-back. Cristiano Ronaldo, Los Blancos star player and the competition’s current top goalscorer with 5, will be relishing the prospect of tormenting stand-in defender Cáceres.
Meanwhile, in-form Angel Di Maria is due to start on Real’s right-wing as Gareth Bale is yet to regain full fitness after a thigh strain, and only played the final ten minutes in his return as a substitute in the 2-0 victory over Málaga last Saturday.
This leaves Xabi Alonso, who is currently recovering from a broken metatarsal, as Carlo Ancelotti’s only unavailable player as he prepares to face the team he managed between 1999 and 2001.
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