Real Madrid does not want to get lost in the Clásico
The Madrid team visits Portuguese side Braga in the Champions League in search of three points that will bring them closer to the round of 16
MADRID, 23 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid will try to get its pass to the round of 16 of the 2023-2024 Champions League on track by getting another victory in its visit this Tuesday (9:00 p.m.) to the Portuguese Sporting Braga, a stop before the important Clásico next Saturday in Lluís Companys.
The Madrid team is going with a firm step at the moment in this beginning of the maximum continental competition after, with a lot of work, adding two victories against the German Union Berlin (1-0) and the Italian Naples (2-3) that allow it to lead Group C. The objective now is to sign the plenary session in this first round and have practically sealed their passport to the crossroads.
Braga will also try to put a 14-time European champion in trouble, for whom their first two wins were not easy and who also know that a high-level test is approaching on the nearest horizon, such as their first league match against FC Barcelona. There are still days left for it, but in his head and in the environment he is already planning that match and Carlo Ancelotti must seek to distance him from his players to avoid unnecessary disconnections.
Real Madrid is immersed in the middle of its demanding week, which at the moment did not start in the best possible way, with a draw against Sevilla (1-1) in the always complicated visit to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán and which allowed Girona would catch up with him in the lead of LaLiga EA Sports and that Barça would cut him back and have the possibility of overtaking him if they defeat him in the Clásico.
And this match may also influence the line-up that Carlo Ancelotti decides to put into the fray, who did not hold back too much in the capital of Seville, beyond the Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga, who seems almost certain to return to the eleven, presumably in the midfield and not on the left side.
As usual, the Italian coach is the midfielder where he can make the most combinations and it could be the turn of Aurelien Tchouameni, who has barely rotated at the start of the campaign to leave room for his compatriot in the position where he is most comfortable. It could also be a good opportunity to see Luka Modric start again, while Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde fight for each other, with more options for the German.
Jude Bellingham could also have his moment of rest to arrive with all the energy to the Classic and open the door for Brahim Díaz as a link in an offensive front where Joselu is outlined as the ‘9’ and as a companion for Vinícius Jr in the face of Rodrygo’s drought.
Finally, at the back, Nacho, who cannot play in the League due to suspension, would enter to give air to Antonio Rüdiger and form a pair with David Alaba, and Lucas Vázquez and Fran García could have their opportunity on the sides to ‘reserve’ Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy.
DJALÓ AND MIST, DANGER FROM THE SIDES
Opposite, a Sporting Braga who will be measured for the first time by the ‘king’ of the top continental competition and who hopes to make use of their enthusiasm and the support of the public to create problems and scratch them as much as possible to keep their chances of overcoming this group alive. in which they leave with three points after their comeback in Berlin (2-3).
“This match will be very special and will go down in the history of Braga. We play against one of the best teams in the world, but we always seek to be competitive and fight in each match. I am sure that we will have our opportunities and to do so we must try to be effective in the great moments,” said Artur Jorge, local coach, before the match.
The Portuguese team comes to this match encouraged after having chained five consecutive victories since losing in their debut in the Champions League, which they reached after overcoming two previous ones, against Naples (1-2) by an own goal in the minute 88 of Niakaté.
Against the Serie A champion he showed that a competitive capacity that he will try to extend against a Real Madrid that will have to monitor the offensive danger of its rival especially on the sides with the Spanish winger Álvaro Djaló and with Bruma, both also ‘rested’ after rotating last weekend in the Cup along with other starting theorists such as Ricardo Horta, Rodrigo Zalazar and Simon Banza. Those who do not appear in the eleven are the also Spaniards Abel Ruiz and Víctor Gómez.
DATASHEET.
–POSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
SPORTING BRAGA: Matheus; Borja, Niakaté, Serdar Saatçi, Mendes; Al Musrati, Zalazar; Djaló, Ricardo Horta, Bruma; and Banza.
REAL MADRID: Kepa; Lucas Vázquez, Nacho, Alaba, Fran García; Modric, Kroos, Camavinga, Bellingham; Vinícius and Joselu.
–REFEREE: Michael Oliver (ING).
–STADIUM: Braga Municipal.
–TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar Champions League.