Real Madrid will look to make it consecutive wins in the UEFA Champions League when they hit the road to square up against LOSC Lille.
LOSC Lille will be looking to secure their first win of the new UEFA Champions League season when they host defending champions Real Madrid at Stade Pierre Mauroy on Wednesday night.
The home team did not have the best of starts to their European campaign as they ended up losing 2-0 to Sporting CP on Matchday 1. They were outplayed by the Portuguese giants, and Angel Gomes was sent off in the first half, which surely did not help.
Les Dogues are heading into this clash against Los Blancos on the back of a 3-0 win against Le Havre. While the home side will be confident about putting up a strong fight, it is not going to be easy.
Real Madrid have been unbeaten in the new campaign, but they have been a touch inconsistent. They did beat VfB Stuttgart 3-1 on Matchday 1, but it was not a dominant performance. The Merengues were quite vulnerable at the back, something Ancelotti would surely want to address.
The visitors heading into this one on the back of a disappointing draw against Atletico Madrid. They were closing in on another three points, but an injury-time goal spoiled the party. Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways against Lille. The Hard Tackle takes a look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
LOSC Lille
The home team will be without the services of Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, Ismaily, and Samuel Umtiti. Meanwhile, the availability of Nabil Bentaleb is doubtful. Angel Gomes is unavailable following the red card in their previous outing against Sporting CP.
LOSC Lille will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Lucas Chevalier will be in goal. Tiago Santos and Gabriel Gudmundsson will feature as the full-backs, while Bafode Diakite will pair up with Alexsandro in the heart of the defence.
Benjamin Andre, Andre Gomes, and Remy Cabella will be the three in the centre of the park. They are all set to have a lot of defensive duties against a star-studded Real Madrid attack. Edon Zhegrova and Osame Sahraoui should feature on the flanks for the home team, with star striker Jonathan David leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Chevalier; Tiago Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Andre, Andre Gomes, Cabella; Zhegrova, David, Sahraoui
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe has been included in Real Madrid’s squad for this fixture against LOSC Lille. However, the Frenchman is unlikely to be risked on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois, who recently picked up a knock, has been left out of the travelling squad.
Fran Garcia will also be travelling with the team despite the knock that he picked up in the clash against Atletico Madrid. Brahim Diaz, David Alaba, and Dani Ceballos remain on the sidelines for the visitors.
Carlo Ancelotti might be tempted to stick to the 4-4-2 formation, but there are high chances Los Blancos will revert to the 4-3-3 formation. Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid’s hero from last season, is all set to start in goal. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy will be the full-backs, while Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger will feature in the heart of the defence.
Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham should be the three midfielders. They will look to control the tempo and ensure they have more control of the proceedings than they did in their last Champions League outing. Arda Guler should start on the right flank for this fixture, with Rodrygo taking up the number nine role and Vinicius Junior starting on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Lunin; Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Guler, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior
Key Stats
- LOSC Lille and Real Madrid are all set to face each other for the first time.
- The hosts only have three wins in their 15 outings against a Spanish club in all competitions.
- Real Madrid have won 20 out of the 36 matches against French clubs.
- Lille are unbeaten in four out of their last five home games in the UEFA Champions League.
- Los Blancos have been unbeaten in their last 14 Champions League outings.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo
In terms of talent, Rodrygo is right up there with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. But, he is not as talked about as the other two. However, Real Madrid fans are well aware of how important he has been to their success. While it was a slow start for him, he has picked up the pace and will be looking to add to his tally of three goals and two assists in the game against Lille.
Prediction
LOSC Lille 1-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid might not have been at their best yet, but they still get the desired results on most days. The draw against Atletico Madrid was a disappointing result, and they will look to bounce back with a win against Lille. While the home team will hope for an upset, it looks highly unlikely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges.