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It's been almost 4 months since Real Madrid finally clinched the much coveted 'La Decima', beating their cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid in the final of the UEFA Champions League. And now the time has come for them to achieve a feat that no team has ever achieved before in the Champions League era - retain their European crown.
Come September 17th, Real will begin their title defense at home to the Swiss side FC Basel.
Venue
The first leg of this fixture will be played at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, the home stadium of Los Blancos. The stadium has a capacity of 85,454 and it is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe. It is named in the honour of Santiago Bernabeu, who was one of the greatest players in the history of Real Madrid.
Kick-off time
The match is scheduled to commence at 00:15 (IST) Wednesday.
Probable lineups
Real Madrid: Iker Casillas is all set to guard between the sticks whereas the quartet of Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal and Marcelo form the defensive line-up. Out of the 7 midfield options, James, Kroos, Modric and Bale are the probable starters whereas striker Karim Benzema will be spearheading the attack with Ronaldo alongside.
Predicted Line-up: Casillas; Marcelo, Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal; James, Kroos, Modric, Bale; Ronaldo, Benzema.
FC Basel: With goalkeeper Yann Sommer out on a loan to Borussia Monchengladbach, his counterpart and Czech international Tomas Vacklic will be putting on the gloves. The defence embodies Walter Samuel, Philip Degan, Fabian Schar and Behrang Safari whereas Fabian Frei remains the only one to orchestrate from the midfield. Further ahead, Mohammad Elneny and Marcelo Diaz will be pulling the strings from the advanced midfield position along with Davide Calla and Luca Zuffi with Marco Streller leading the attack upfront.
Predicted Line-up: Tomas Vacklic; Samuel, P.Degen, Schar, Safari; Frei; Elneny, Diaz, Calla, Zuffi; Streller.
Key facts and stats:
- In the 1971/72 UEFA Cup first round, Madrid came from behind to beat Basel 2-1 in Switzerland and then won by the same score at home.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 18 Champions League games at home.
- The Merengues have a 100% record at home against Swiss opposition: W10 D0 L0 F42 A2.
-The Bebbis are still seeking a first win in Spain, where their record is W0 D2 L5.
Key battles:
James Rodrigues vs Fabian Frei
The 22-year old Colombian starred at the World Cup but, up to some extent, failed to emulate that same scintillating form for his club side. James is good at keeping possession, thereby creating chances for the attack force upfront. The former Monaco man has a penchant for doing lay-offs, dribbles and often cuts inside.
His opposite number from the Swiss side, who will be assigned the task of nullifying the threat posed by the Colombian, will be Fabian Frei. Going by Basel’s usual 4-1-4-1 formation, Frei remains the sole defensive midfielder and has a Herculean task up ahead to pursue.
Sergio Ramos vs Marco Streller
Basel have a potent strike force in the form of another Swiss international, Marco Streller. The striker has gathered 8 goals in all competitions this season and will look to continue his fine goalscoring run. Real’s centre-back Sergio Ramos needs to be vigilant in his role of keeping an eye on his movements and must avoid getting booked.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema vs Fabian Schar and Philipp Degen
The Real Madrid duo wreaked havoc in the opposition defense last season and accumulated a total of 75 goals between them. Set-piece threat, clinical finishing and a threat in counter-attacks are some the attributes that define this amazing duopoly.
Their opposition numbers Schar and Degen, knowing what they are up against, are expected to keep the aforementioned duo in check and must strain every sinew to render them ineffective.
Prediction:
Although this match serves as a cakewalk for the home side, the visitors shouldn’t be underestimated at all, considering the fact that Basel had embarrassed Chelsea at home and away last season. The Swiss side may approach the game with that positivity in mind and may be in for another surprise.
Predicted scoreline: Real Madrid 3-0 FC Basel
