Sitting 24th in the ‘league phase’ standings, Real Madrid take on Atalanta in a crunch Champions League clash in Italy.
Carlo Ancelotti is set to choose between Dani Ceballos and Arda Güler in a four-man midfield in Bergamo, where Real Madrid take on Atalanta in a crucial Champions League clash on Tuesday.
The Madrid boss is expected to opt for a 4-4-2 at Gewiss Stadium, with the trio of Luka Modric, Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham all expected to start in the visitors’ engine room. Ceballos and Güler appear to be the favorites for the final spot in the Madrid midfield, with Brahim Díaz seemingly behind the pair in the running for selection.
Whether Ancelotti goes for Ceballos or Güler will come down to a choice between the greater ball-retention skills offered by the former, or the potential attacking inspiration provided by the latter, who was on the scoresheet in Madrid’s 3-0 LaLiga win over Girona on Saturday.
Will Vini return for Real Madrid in Italy?
Madrid’s forward line is set to comprise Kylian Mbappé and one of Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes, who are both returning from injury. Both felt good in training on Sunday. All the indications are that Vinícius, who hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in the league win over Leganés last month, will be fit to partner Mbappé. Should he finally start on the bench, however, Rodrygo can be expected to join Mbappé in attack, after sitting out the weekend trip to Girona with a muscle issue.
In defense, midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is poised to remain as a makeshift center-back alongside Antonio Rüdiger, relegation Raúl Asencio to the bench once more. The Frenchman impressed at Montilivi with a solid display that also illustrated what he brings to the team in terms of distribution from the back. Lucas Vázquez will continue at right-back, while Fran García is set to come in on the left-hand side of defense, with Ferland Mendy out injured.
Real Madrid’s possible line-up vs Atalanta:
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouameni, Antonio Rüdiger, Fran García; Dani Ceballos/Arda Güler, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham; Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior/Rodrygo Goes.
Atalanta vs Real Madrid: when, where, how to watch?
Atalanta host Real Madrid at Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday December 10, 2024, with kick-off in Bergamo scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the US can watch the game on TUDN USA, UniMás, Paramount+ and ViX. You can also stream the action on the online platform fubo, which offers a free trial.
In a matchday-six game that Ancelotti has described as Madrid’s “toughest assignment between now and the end of the year”, the defending champions are under pressure to win after consecutive Champions League defeats. Losses to AC Milan and Liverpool have left Los Merengues languishing in 24th in the 36-team ‘league phase’ standings, whose bottom 12 teams will be eliminated after eight games.
Only the top eight teams will qualify automatically for the Champions League’s last 16, while the clubs finishing in ninth to 24th will have to negotiate a playoff round to reach the knockout stage proper.