0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, October 22, 2024
Real Madrid entertain Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday in a vital match for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
The game in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is a repeat of last season's final that Real Madrid won 2-0 after the German side had the better of the first 45 minutes.
Serhou Guirassy (R) of Borussia Dortmund vies with Eric Smith of FC St. Pauli during their German first division Bundesliga football match in Dortmund, Germany, Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Joachim Bywaletz/Xinhua)
While Dortmund travel to Spain top of the new-look Champions League table after winning their first two matches, Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat in Lille in their second match has put some pressure on Carlo Ancelotti's side, who don't want to be left behind in the race to finish the group stage in the top-eight and avoid a play-off that would put two more games into their already packed fixture schedule.
Carlo Ancelotti tried to shuffle his tactics in Saturday's 2-1 win away to Celta Vigo, playing a three-man defense and using Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia as wing-backs.
Although Madrid won the game, the experiment wasn't completely successful, with Thibaut Courtois forced into several big saves and Ancelotti almost certain to bring Freland Mendy back on the left.
A long-term knee injury to Dani Carvajal limits his options of making changes on the right of defense, but he could return to a flat back four to allow either Aurelian Tchouameni to push into midfield or for Luka Modric (who on Saturday became the oldest man to ever play for Real Madrid) to start.
There will also be a lot of attention on Jude Bellingham, who has had a discreet start to the season after last year's brilliant beginning to his Real Madrid career.
The former Dortmund midfielder had scored 10 goals for Madrid in all competitions at this stage of last season, but he has still to get off the mark this time around.
Girona are also in action on Tuesday and have a must-win match at home to Slovan Bratislava in a tie between two sides who have lost their opening two games.
Slovan have shipped goals, losing 5-1 away to Glasgow Celtic and 4-0 at home to Manchester City, while Girona were unlucky to lose 1-0 away to Paris Saint Germain and 3-2 at home to Feyenoord.
Girona are missing Daley Blind, Oriol Romeu and Viktor Tsygankov through injury and this is a must-win game if the Spanish side is to keep their European hopes alive.
