Real Madrid will look to maintain their winning streak in the UEFA Champions League when they host Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli.
Napoli will look to earn a spot in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 when they hit the road to square up against Real Madrid. Meanwhile, the home team will look to maintain their 100% win record in the ongoing European campaign.
Real Madrid have already booked their place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. But they still need another point to ensure they finish top of their group. As a result, they will look for their fifth win, having already won four out of four so far.
The Merengues are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-0 win over Cadiz in the league. Despite having multiple stars out injured, Los Blancos have managed to get the desired results and will look for something similar against Napoli.
Napoli have never defeated Real Madrid in an official game and will be eager to get past the Spanish giants this time around as it will book their spot in the Round of 16. They are currently second on the points table with seven points out of their four matches.
The Partenopei head into this tie on the back of a 2-1 win over Atalanta in Serie A. It wasn’t their best performance but they managed to come out on top. Walter Mazzarri has had a decent start with Napoli and will look to continue in a similar fashion against Real Madrid. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both squads and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid do not have much to play for, as only a point will be enough to get them the top spot in the group. As a result, they are expected to rest a few of their star players who might have the risk of picking up an injury.
Los Blancos already have a long list of injuries as they will be without the services of Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Thibaut Courtois, and Eder Militao.
Meanwhile, Luka Modric is expected to be rested for this match after he picked up a knock and was subbed off last weekend. While reports suggest he will be back in time, Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to risk him.
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Andriy Lunin is expected to continue in goal ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga as the Italian manager once again goes ahead with the 4-4-2 with a diamond in the centre. Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia could be the full-backs for this fixture. They will have the support of Antonio Rudiger, who will pair up with Nacho in the heart of the defence.
Toni Kroos will be the holding midfielder. The German midfielder will have the support of Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos. Jude Bellingham will continue as the attacking midfielder behind the striking duo of Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo Goes.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Lucas Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, Garcia; Valverde, Kroos, Ceballos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Diaz
Napoli
Walter Mazzarri has taken over from Rudi Garcia and will be eager to continue his good start when Napoli square up against Real Madrid. The Serie A champions have an ongoing crisis at left-back as Mathias Olivera has picked up an injury and joined Mario Rui on the sidelines. Juan Jesus will most likely start as the left-sided full-back.
L’allenamento di oggi
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— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) November 27, 2023
Mazzarri will continue with the 4-3-3 formation, where Alex Meret will be in goal. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Juan Jesus will be the full-backs. The duo will support Amir Rrahmani and Natan, who start in the heart of the defence.
The back four will look to keep a clean sheet against a star-studded Real Madrid attack. Meanwhile, in the centre of the park, Stanislav Lobotka will be the holding midfielder. He will have the support of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Piotr Zielinski. The trio will look to dictate the pace of this game and ensure Real Madrid do not dominate the possession of the ball.
Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be the wingers. They will look to stretch the opposition’s defence and provide width to their attacks. They will try to create chances for their star striker Victor Osimhen who has recently made a return from injury.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Natan, Juan Jesus; Lobotka, Zambo Anguissa, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Key Stats
- Los Blancos have not lost at home since early April. They have won eight of their last nine Champions League home games.
- In the last three meetings between Real Madrid and Napoli, the Merengues have come out on top on all three occasions.
- Napoli suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid on matchday 2.
- Real Madrid have won all of their last nine encounters against sides from Serie A.
- Napoli have never defeated Real Madrid in a competitive fixture.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo did not have the best of starts to the 2023/24 season. He was expected to take things by storm as the 22-year-old was all set to be a regular starter under Ancelotti post the departure of Karim Benzema.
In the initial matches, the Brazil international struggled to find the back of the net. But, of late, he seems to have found his usual self. In their last league outing, Rodrygo found the back of the net twice. He now has 12 goal contributions in 18 outings and is expected to add to it when he takes the field against Napoli.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-2 Napoli
Real Madrid have been in sensational form in the 2023/24 season. They have hardly put a foot wrong so far, and the team in white has been winning games for fun. Real Madrid have already secured a spot in the knockout rounds, and a point against Napoli will be enough for them to seal the top spot.
Meanwhile, a win will do Napoli a world of good as they look to secure their place in the next round of the Champions League. They are expected to throw everything at the Merengues and might end up getting a point out of this fixture. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-2 draw on the night.
