Real Madrid will be desperate to bounce back from their weekend humiliation at the hands of Barcelona when they travel to Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League action on Wednesday.
Los Merengues were demolished in front of their own fans at the weekend, as a Barca side with Luis Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta in top form heaped the pressure on Rafael Benitez with a 4-0 triumph.
Benitez keeps his job, but Real will not be allowed too many more slip ups. A trip to Ukraine is an ominous prospect, particularly with Los Blancos’ place as group leaders of Group A is not yet secure.
Here’s our Real Madrid Predicted XI vs. Shakhtar:
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Keylor Navas: The Costa Rican goalkeeper will be desperate to make up for his miserable showing against Barca last weekend, but will his confidence be shattered after the El Clasico humbling?
Danilo: Struggled horribly in the Clasico, and unless he can bounce back quickly, questions will about as to whether he’s really up to the level required by Real.
Pepe: Sergio Ramos misses out as he recovers from his shoulder injury, meaning that Pepe will step into the heart of the defence. Will the centre-back be able to do any better than his teammate?
Raphael Varane: Expect the classy French centre-back to complete the centre-back pairing.
Nacho: With Marcelo ruled out for several weeks with injuries, we’re expecting Nacho to step in at right-back.
Luka Modric: Likely to retain his place as the side’s metronome despite a fairly anonymous showing in the Clasico.
Casemiro: Toni Kroos may well be rested for this one, meaning that there could be a start for Brazil midfielder Casemiro. He will be a tenacious presence in the heart of the midfield, but can he keep his discipline.
Gareth Bale: A disappointing performance in the Clasico, but the Welsh forward will find much more space and time to thrive against Shakhtar. Can he rediscover his best form as he steadily makes his way back to full fitness?
James Rodriguez: Another player who’s still not completely found his rhythm after a spell on the sidelines, hopefully James will find some inspiration in the way Barcelona’s forwards so emphatically dissected AS Roma on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Is Cristiano Ronaldo distracted in light of the incessant transfer rumours that seem to place him everywhere from Manchester to Major League Soccer? Ronaldo has five goals in four outings in the Champions League so far this season.
Karim Benzema: The French striker is enduring a tough time in his private life at the moment, and will be desperate to make some headlines for his performances on the field rather than his controversies off it.