Real Madrid takes refuge in the Champions League to compensate
The whites want to forget the setback against Osasuna by putting the pass to the round of 16 on track against a Shakhtar, willing to be a bone again
MADRID, 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid host Shakhtar Donetsk this Wednesday (9:00 p.m.) in the third game of the Champions League group stage, a duel in which the Whites will take refuge in their favorite competition and the Santiago Bernabéu to make up for the last ‘ puncture’ league, while the Ukrainian team arrives wanting to create problems again.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team saw their splendid and immaculate winning streak of nine games come to a halt against Osasuna this Sunday, with a draw (1-1) and a discreet image. A scoreboard that left the madridistas stunned, more emotionally than in terms of results – they finished second in the league with the same points as FC Barceona -, as their fans witnessed one of their darkest matches this season.
It was not the best way to start an October full of tough games, with a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League at stake and the Clásico for the lead in less than a week and a half. However, this Wednesday against Shakhtar he has a great opportunity to react in time and recover the smile that faded, in a certain way, after the poor draw against the ‘rojillo’ team.
Leader of Group F with six points after two days, the current champion of the competition will seek to start a new streak of good results to face the long and demanding month before the World Cup. A victory would put him on track for the crosses, although for that he will have to protect the goal with more defensive commitment, which, again, will not be defended by the injured Thibaut Courtois.
In addition, he must improve the staging, with more accuracy, more fluidity and clarify his ideas, somewhat opaque in the first setback of the season. Although the stage is ideal for it: the Champions League, the Santiago Bernabéu and a rival, a priori, affordable, but who in his last two visits to the capital already did damage.
The Italian coach will once again have a Karim Benzema who did not have the dream comeback after his injury, even with a penalty that hit the crossbar, although the best news is that Luka Modric returns to ‘fix’ the monotonous midfield game against Osasuna, although his presence as a starter is not confirmed.
Lucas Vázquez also returns, who could rest Carvajal on the right side, while Militao points to the starting eleven after resting against Osasuna. Tchouaméni could rotate in a midfield where Ancelotti has many alternatives despite the loss of Dani Ceballos, and above, along with Bepzema, there would be a Vinicius who has somewhat lowered his brightness in his last two games, and the option of returning to put in Fede Valverde to the detriment of Rodrygo Goes.
Opposite will be a Shakhtar, second in the group with four points, so their most valuable incentive will be to snatch the lead from Real Madrid and get fully into the fight to be in the round of 16 and as first. In addition, they have the asset of knowing how to beat the whites as visitors, which they achieved two years ago (2-3), at the Alfredo Di Stéfano, despite the fact that they managed to put 0-3. Last year, they held on and fell 2-1 at the Bernabéu and now they hope to repeat their competitiveness in their third consecutive season that they have met.
In this edition of the Champions League, they decisively beat Leipzig (1-4), in one of the surprises of the European premiere, and achieved a hard-fought draw against Celtic (1-1). In the domestic championship, they are undefeated leaders after the first five games, although they are a less experienced team with more weak points after having lost almost all of their Brazilians after the Russian invasion.
They will hide behind a bravery that has already allowed them to get oil against the whites, as well as the goals of an animated Mudryk, author of two goals in this Champions League. However, the Ukrainian team, with its headquarters now in Lviv due to the war with Russia and which plays the continental competition in Warsaw, will have against the hard journey to Madrid, of about 10 hours, caused by the war.
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Tchouaméni, Kroos, Camavinga; Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius.
SHAKHTAR: Trubin; Taylor, Bondar, Matviyenko, Konoplia; Stepanenko; Zubkov, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Mudryk; Sikan.
–ARBITRATOR: Ivan Kruzliak (CRO).
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
–TIME: 21.00/Movistar Champions League.
