Real Madrid are 24th in the standings and will face Atalanta in a crucial Champions League match in Italy.
Carlo Ancelotti will choose between Dani Ceballos and Arda Güler in a four-man midfield in Bergamo, where Real Madrid will face Atalanta in a crucial Champions League match on Tuesday.
The Madrid boss is expected to opt for a 4-4-2 at the Gewiss Stadium, with trio Luka Modric, Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham all starting in the visitors' engine room. Ceballos and Güler appear to be the favorites for the final spot in Madrid's midfield, with Brahim Díaz seemingly behind the pair in the battle for selection.
Whether Ancelotti goes for Ceballos or Güler will come down to a choice between the former's better ball-holding skills or the latter's potential attacking inspiration, which was on the scoresheet in Madrid's 3-0 win over Girona in LaLiga. Saturday.
Will Vini return for Real Madrid in Italy?
Madrid's forward line will consist of Kylian Mbappé and one of Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes, both returning from injury. Both felt good at training on Sunday. All indications are that Vinícius, who has not played since suffering his hamstring injury in the league win over Leganés last month, will be fit for partner Mbappé. However, should he finally start on the bench, Rodrygo can be expected to join Mbappe in attack after enduring the weekend trip to Girona with a muscle problem.
In defense, midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is ready to play as an improvised central defender next to Antonio Rüdiger, relegating Raúl Asencio to the bench again. The Frenchman impressed Montilivi with a solid performance that also illustrated what he can offer the team in terms of distribution from the back. Lucas Vázquez will continue as right-back, while Fran García will feature on the left side of the defense, while Ferland Mendy is injured.
Possible line-up of Real Madrid against Atalanta:
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Aurélien Tchouameni, Antonio Rüdiger, Fran García; Dani Ceballos/Arda Güler, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham; Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior/Rodrygo Goes.
Atalanta vs Real Madrid: when, where, how to watch?
Atalanta will host Real Madrid at Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, with kick-off in Bergamo scheduled for 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM 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 fixture 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 back-to-back Champions League defeats. Losses to AC Milan and Liverpool have left Los Merengues languishing in 24th place in the 36-team standings, with the bottom 12 teams eliminated after eight games.
Only the top eight teams automatically qualify for the last sixteen of the Champions League, while the clubs finishing ninth to 24th must go through a play-off round to reach the knockout stage proper.
Comments