Real Madrid will take on AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night at 21:00 CEST at the Santiago Bernabeu, as the league phase reaches it’s midway point. Los Blancos are looking for a response in their first game since El Clasico.
Carlo Ancelotti is not expected to alter much from that game though, with Diario AS predicting just one change from their heavy defeat to Barcelona. Rodrygo Goes is back from injury, but they and Marca coincide that it will be Luka Modric who comes in for Eduardo Camavinga in midfield. Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Dani Carvajal remain injured and out of action.
Carlo Ancelotti will be looking for a response from #RealMadrid tonight against #ACMilan in the #ChampionsLeague, but Diario AS expect just one change from #ElClasico. Rafael Leao will start for the visitors. pic.twitter.com/mQaFUfzmqd
— Football España (@footballespana_) November 5, 2024
Manager Paulo Fonseca has been in a dispute with star player Rafael Leao, benching him for their last two games, but confirmed that he would be back out on the left against Los Blancos. Real Madrid will also be up against a number of former La Liga players, in Emerson Royale, Yunus Musah and Samu Chukwueze, and two of their old players in Alvaro Morata and Theo Hernandez.
Where Marca do differ, is in believing that Strahinja Pavlovic will start over Malick Thiaw, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek ahead of Musah. Matteo Gabbia, Alessandro Florenzi, and Ismael Bennacer are all out injured, while Davide Calabria and Tammy Abrahamh have made a full recovery, and are expected on the bench.
“It is always a motivation to play against the best team in the world in a legendary stadium. It is an opportunity for us but we know it will be a tough game because they have a very strong team. There are ways we can surprise them,” Fonseca continued. “We have prepared the game to look for its weaknesses. It is important to continue our growth,” Fonseca told the media ahead of the game.
He also sent a message of support to the victims of the DANA storm tragedy in the Valencian Community, which to date has taken 215 lives.
“I dislike these days of difficulty for these people. We are all with them to help all these people. I want to send my support to the victims of the catastrophe in Valencia. What we have seen is something very hard and difficult and our hearts go out to the people who are suffering from this tragedy. In Italy we have suffered similar tragedies, and we are alongside the Valencians.”
