Real Madrid march into London on Wednesday with a chance to slam the door on hopes of a Tottenham Hotspur run at topping Group H of the Champions League. The two sides are currently tied atop the group after a 1-1 draw in Madrid in the most recent matchday.
Tottenham’s biggest potential pitfall is being without Harry Kane, but Real Madrid have some injury concerns of their own. Neither Varane nor Bale will be available. Isco, who played 90 minutes in the loss against Girona, seems to have picked up a thigh problem that may jeopardize his place in the lineup.
Real Madrid need to show some very positive signs of life in this matchup. A disappointing loss to Girona on Sunday pushes Real Madrid eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga, and anything less than a win against Tottenham puts the risk of Real not being the top team in Group H in real jeopardy.
Something to keep an eye on is Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema against the solid back three of Tottenham. Alderweireld, Sanchez, and Vertonghen are a tough nut to crack for any attack, and seeing how Real Madrid choose to go at them for the second time this month should be fascinating.
Both teams are coming off a loss and are in desperate need of a win, Real Madrid have the upper hand and experience in must win games, and should be prepared and healthy enough to grab three points.
Predicted Starting XI
Tottenham
GK: Lloris
D: Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen
MF: Trippier, Dier, Dembele, Rose
F: Eriksen, Kane, Alli
Real Madrid
GK: Navas
D: Achraf, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo
MF: Casemiro, Asensio, Kroos, Modric
F: Ronaldo, Benzema
HOW TO WATCH, STREAM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Date: 11/01/2017
Time: 20:45 CET, 03:45pm EST, 12:45pm Pacific.
Venue: Wembley, London, England.
Available TV: FOX Sports 1 (USA), BT Sport 2 (UK), BeIN Sports (Spain).
Available Streaming: FOX Sports GO (USA), Fubo.TV (EVERY Real Madrid game with a high-quality and legal stream, click here to sign up and benefit from a summer discount for new members and Managing Madrid readers).
PREDICTION
Real Madrid 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur