Champions League: What is Real Madrid’s possible starting lineup vs Shakhtar today?
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will be looking for a hat-trick of wins in Group F as Shakhtar are the visitors to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
A win for Real Madrid tonight over Shakhtar would take Ancelotti’s side to nine points and see the Spanish side with one foot in the Round of 16. After the victory over Leipzig when the side stuttered to securing maximum points, the value of the win was acknowledged in a post game interview by Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian will be absent once again as the club’s medics continue tests on a sciatica that the player has developed. The noise coming from the club is underplaying the nature of the problem with the Belgian international expected to be fit for El Clásico but expected to miss the next few matches, away to Getafe (Saturday) and vs. Shakhtar in Warsaw (next Tuesday).
Lunin, who will be looking for his first clean sheet for Madrid, will be back in goal and will be assisted by a defence made up of Carvajal, Militao (back after resting in La Liga), Alaba and Mendy. The other big change is likely to be in midfield: Modric is back from a hip injury, but is likely to start on the bench with Valverde set to replace the absent Dani Ceballos.
Brazilian Rodrygo is expected to assist the two pillars of Madrid’s attack: Vinicius and Benzema with the French striker getting a swift opportunity to redeem his his penalty miss against Osasuna where Madrid failed to maintain their excellent winning start to the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Los Rojillos.
Real Madrid possible XI (vs. Shakhtar Donetsk)
The expected starting eleven from Ancelott in the Champions League clash will feature: Lunin in goal; a back four of Carvajal, Militao, Alaba and Mendy. Tchouameni, Valverde and Kroos in the centre of the park with Vinicius, Benzema and Rodrygo leading the line.