A pair of storied European giants do battle in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with Real Madrid welcoming AC Milan to the Spanish capital.
These two clubs have combined for 22 European Cup-Champions League titles, although Madrid have triumphed six times since Milan were last crowned European champions under Carlo Ancelotti in 2007
Ancelotti he faces his former club here with a myriad of issues to resolve. Postponed match between Madrid and Valencia the weekend means they haven’t been in action since their classic drug, but there must be some kind of response from the Champions League headlines here.
Here is the starting eleven that Ancelotti could choose for the visit of Milan on the fourth day of the league phase.
GK: Andriy Lunin – Thibaut Courtois is closing in on a return, but Lunin is likely to remain between the posts for Madrid until the November break.
RB: Lucas Vázquez – Good luck Lucas. The converted winger has the unenviable task of taking on Milan’s two-headed monster down their left flank here and will no doubt need support from higher up the pitch defensively.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – The German has been dealing with a minor knee injury which has briefly thrown his fitness into doubt for this game, but the latest reports suggest that Rudiger will be fine.
CB: Eder Militao – Rudiger’s pair could be competing for minutes once David Alaba returns to the fold, but Militao currently has no competition for his position.
LB: Ferland Mendy – Ancelotti could use Eduardo Camavinga at left-back given Mendy’s struggles last time out, but the French left-back has had time to leave his classic memory problems
CM: Luka Modric – Madrid need their veteran superstar after the retirement of Toni Kroos. The 39-year-old midfielder can offer his team a semblance of calm control in the middle of the park and should be fresh after enjoying the weekend off.
CM: Federico Valverde – The Madrid midfielder has an important role to play defensively, as he will be positioned on the right and will be tasked with stopping Theo Hernández’s persistent surges. He trained alone before this match.
CM: Jude Bellingham – The Englishman has remarkably failed to find the back of the net this season with his role in this team seemingly changing by the game. You could perform a box-to-box role here and have the license to block the box when needed.
RW: Rodrygo – The winger returns to the matchday squad after a rather short absence due to injury. Although he is more likely to enjoy a cameo role from the bench, Ancelotti must be tempted to include him in the starting XI straight away given the balance he provides to Madrid’s attack.
ST: Kylian Mbappe – It’s been a pretty slow start of Mbappé Champions League campaign, although he scored Madrid’s victory by 3-1 against Stuttgart on the first day. The French endured a frustrating night at the classic last time and we’ll be ready to get back on the scoresheet here.
LW: Vinicius Junior – The search for the Ballon d’Or 2025 it has already begun, with Vinicius Junior, feeling tremendously wronged by the voters, forced to embark on a vengeful mission to claim that elusive golden ball.
