Cristiano Ronaldo makes his first start of the season for Real Madrid as they host APOEL Nicosia at Santiago Bernabeu in their Champions League curtain raiser.
The Portuguese forward has Gareth Bale for company up front, with Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio missing out due to their respective fitness issues. Keylor Navas returns to the starting lineup as well, and is one of the five other changes made by Zinedine Zidane from the weekend’s game against Levante.
The other changes include Luka Modric, Casemiro, Isco and Mateo Kovacic, with Kiko Casilla, Toni Kroos, Marcos Llorente, Theo Hernandez and Lucas Vazquez making way.
Meanwhile, APOEL boss Giorgos Donis has made three changes to the side that travelled to Nea Salamis on the weekend, with Efstathios Aloneftis, Vinicius and Praxitelis Vouros returning to the starting eleven.
?? #RMUCL#RealMadrid XI ? @apoelfcofficial#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/MA4vUQUXgB
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 13, 2017
#StartingXI: @realmadrid – #APOELFC (#UCL MD1) #apoelfclive #RMvAPO pic.twitter.com/aB8qryYR1Z
— APOEL FC (@apoelfcofficial) September 13, 2017
