Real Madrid travel to Belgium without any goals in the Champions League as they are second of the group no matter what happen. However, the club could earn more than €2M and Zinedine Zidane will have the opportunity to try new players before a crucial week, where Los Blancos will face Valencia and FC Barcelona away.
Zizou left Varane and Toni Kroos in Madrid, whereas some other players will rest. Casemiro is in Brugge, but the stopper should finally have some rest, especially because in La Liga he has four yellow cards and it’s a very important piece for the two clashes in the domestic tournament. Isco and Luka Modric could both start together with Fede Valverde in the midfield.
It is also expected to see Luka Jovic in the attacking line. Karim Benzema is also in Belgium, but the Frenchman should rest as well. It’s uncertain whether Bale will start or rest after his physical problems that prevented him to play against Espanyol. It’s also very important for the team to count on Bale, especially for the key games ahead.
Jovic could be surrounded by talented Brazilians. After the good game against Espanyol, Vinicius Jr. should also start the game, giving some minutes to Rodrygo Goes, who might start against Valencia, although Isco could be another solution there.
The other question mark is in the defense line. Mendy is suspended for La Liga, so maybe Zidane decided to try something new against Brugge. Nacho is available and he has played before as a left back, but also Militao could cover the position or even Carvajal. Zizou could try his defense line on Wednesday. Probably Militao is the best option there, given the circumstances.
Luckily, after a terrible start in the Champions League, Los Blancos could have some rest in the final game. They haven’t been able to top the group, but they are used to win the competition as a second of their group. The most important thing right now is to recover some players for the high competition and to be ready for the clashes in La Liga. The most important part of the Champions League will come in February.
