Real Madrid travel to the San Siro to face Inter Milan this evening in what could prove to be a pivotal fixture in group B.
When the two European heavyweights were drawn alongside Borussia Monchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage, you could be forgiven for thinking that they’d be one and two.
However, it’s actually Gladbach and Shakhtar that lead the way, with neither of Real Madrid or Inter looking convincing in their group games previously. Tonight’s game could prove decisive.
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Los Blancos got the better of Inter in Madrid, so it’s payback time for Antonio Conte’s men, but the former Chelsea manager will be without several first-team players for tonight’s game.
Transfermarkt list the five unavailable Inter players as: Matias Vecino, Stefano Sensi, Daniele Padelli, Marcelo Brozovic and Aleksandar Kolarov.
Real Madrid have an injury crisis of their own, though. As the Mirror report, Eden Hazard is back, but Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Luka Jovic are out, with doubts over the fitness of Karim Benzema, Casemiro and Eder Militao.
To lose Ramos, Modric and potentially Benzema, three of the competition’s most experienced and decorated players ever, would be an immeasurable blow for Zinedine Zidane.
This ought to be a great game, nonetheless. The stakes couldn’t be higher.