5 intriguing fixtures from the first week of the 2018/19 Champions League

#4 Real Madrid vs. Roma

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final — Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid will now have to rely more on the likes of Gareth Bale

Winners of their third Champions League in a row last season – an astonishing accomplishment considering the calibre of teams involved – Real Madrid will be looking to pull off a miracle by winning Europe’s biggest competition for the 4th time in 2018/19. A lot has changed for them over this summer though, as they’ve lost manager Zinedine Zidane and their talismanic Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

In Zidane’s place now sits former Spain boss Julen Lopetegui, and in terms of domestic form they’ve looked as good as ever – already scoring 11 goals in just four games to climb to 2nd place in La Liga. And they don’t really appear to be missing Ronaldo – Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have already scored seven goals between them.

Europe might be a different matter, though. Real scored 33 goals in the Champions League last season, but 15 of them – almost half – came from Ronaldo. And while nobody should expect them to crash out in the group stage – they face outsiders CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen next – their first game against Roma could be tougher than they expect.

Last season saw the Italians make the semi-final, upsetting Barcelona in the process, and despite losing key players Alisson and Radja Nainggolan in the summer, they’ve signed the likes of Justin Kluivert, Javier Pastore and Steven N’Zonzi to strengthen an already solid squad.

Life without Ronaldo in Europe begins for Madrid on Wednesday, but if Roma have their way it won’t be a happy start.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Ben Winfield