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Real Madrid has traveled to the Russian capital of Moscow, where they will take on Russian Premier League giants CSKA Moscow on Tuesday night. Los Blancos will be hoping to get back to winning ways after losing and drawing in their last two outings versus Sevilla and Atletico Madrid.
Julen Lopetegui has to cater to the absences of Isco and Marcelo who are injured. Gareth Bale was suspected to have suffered a muscle injury too, but reports have proven otherwise. Sergio Ramos also misses out after being handed a rest.
Let’s have a look at the Whites’ eleven as they seek to get a win at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Defense
Keylor Navas will probably get the nods in the UEFA Champions League ahead of Thibaut Courtois. The former Levante goalie started and shut store in the 3-0 win over Roma two weeks ago and will be keen on repeating the feat in Russia’s capital.
Nacho Fernandez is likely to replace Sergio Ramos in the center of the defense. On the other hand, Raphael Varane is expected to keep his place at a ground where he was crowned world champion nearly three months back.
Marcelo’s injury could finally see Sergio Reguilon get the nod in the starting line-up. Dani Carvajal is the favorite to start as the right fullback.
Midfield
Real Madrid’s midfield has prospered since Julen Lopetegui’s arrival. However, there is one man who deserves credit for being selfless and letting Modric and Kroos play their roles comfortably. That is indeed Carlos Enrique Casemiro. The Brazil international will start at defensive midfield in a game where the opponents will threaten on the break.
Toni Kroos is La Liga’s best passer in the 2018/19 and has also shown sublime skills with his long balls. The former Bayern Munich midfielder shall start again in a fixture that will require Madrid to have long spells of possession if they’re to break a stubborn CSKA Moscow defense.
Luka Modric will be expected to pull the strings. The Croatian was tipped for a rest in this match, but Isco’s absence means that there is no respite for him. While he is the top contender to start, Dani Ceballos’ preference should not be ruled out.
Attack
Real Madrid’s attack has been lackluster in the last two outings. Karim Benzema has not been given enough chances to attack the opponent’s goal. The Frenchman will be looking to put a series of five scoreless matches behind him and get onto the scoresheet against CSKA Moscow.
Gareth Bale’s absence must have paved the way for a starting berth to Lucas Vazquez. The 27-year-old has been doing well in training but has not yet started a match this season. That could soon change in Russia, where Vazquez will be keen on improving his case to start matches more often.
Marco Asensio has found the back of the net only once this season. His performance against Atletico Madrid was far from ideal and led to questions about his decision making. Yet, the Majorcan will start the CSKA Moscow fixture mainly due to lack of competition. The 22-year-old will be hoping to get a goal at least.
