Real Madrid kick off a crucial week against Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu, with one eye on El Clasico coming this Saturday. A rematch of the Champions League final, both sides look somewhat different compared to their clash at Wembley, as Dortmund sport a new manager in Nuri Sahin, and no Mats Hummels or Marco Reus.
Los Blancos are likely to field a strong line-up, with Ferland Mendy and Luka Modric starting, the latter off a beautiful assist for Vinicius Junior. Rodrygo Goes is also expected to come back in, as per Marca, with Fran Garcia, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga looking at the bench, in a more conventional line-up, after Carlo Ancelotti experimented with a deeper role for Tchouameni against Celta Vigo.
Meanwhile Diario AS are less certain over both Modric and Rodrygo coming back, with Camavinga keeping his spot according to their diagnosis. Ancelotti is without Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Brahim Diaz, but their injury list is reducing with the latter back in partial training as of Monday.
Sahin is working without Yan Couto, Karim Adeyemi, Gio Reyna and young winger Julien Duranville. His line-up is expected to be a 4-4-2 shape, with the pacy Jamie Gittens and Donyell Malen out wide. Marcel Sabitzer caused Los Blancos issues in London in the middle of the pitch, and Real Madrid will be up against a new foe in Waldemar Anton, who was signed this summer to replace Hummels.