Real Madrid will be looking for their third straight win in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League when they host winless Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Having played out a draw in their first two UEFA Champions League outings, Igor Tudor’s Juventus will be desperate to secure all three points when they hit the road to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The home team are second on the Champions League table with two wins in two outings. They started the campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Marseille and backed it up with an impressive 5-0 win over Kairat Almaty.
Apart from their slip-up against Atletico Madrid in La Liga, Xabi Alonso’s men have a perfect track record, and they will be eager to secure yet another win when they square up against Juventus.
The visitors are 23rd on the Champions League table with two draws in their first two outings. After playing out a thrilling 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund on Matchday one, the Old Lady failed to secure all three points against Villarreal as well (2-2).
Juventus’s league form has not been that great, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Como. Given the kind of form they have been in, going up against Los Blancos certainly won’t be easy. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso remains without the services of Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen. The good news for the Real Madrid fans is that Ferland Mendy and Trent Alexander-Arnold are back in training ahead of the game against Juventus. However, they still might not be risked here with the Clasico coming up.
David Alaba will undergo a late fitness test after he was taken off mid-way in their last outing because of a calf issue. The home team could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Federico Valverde and Alvaro Carreras should continue as the full-backs, while Eder Militao should pair up with Raul Asencio in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchuameni and Eduardo Camavinga could form the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game.
Jude Bellingham might have to settle for a place on the bench, with Arda Guler expected to be back in the playing XI. The Turkish gem will take up the number ten role, while Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono could feature on the flanks. Finally, Kylian Mbappe should lead the line for Real Madrid against Juventus on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Asencio, Carreras; Tchouameni, Camavinga; Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
Juventus
The visitors remain without the services of Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal. Meanwhile, Juventus do have a boost as Fabio Miretti is back in training, while Edon Zhegrova should be fit enough to make the squad against Real Madrid.
While Igor Tudor shifted to a back-four for the game on the weekend, he is expected to revert to his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, where Michele Di Gregorio will take charge between the sticks.
The back three will be made up of Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, and Lloyd Kelly. They will receive significant support from Pierre Kalulu and Andrea Cambiaso, who will feature as wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Manuel Locatelli should partner with Khephren Thuram in the centre of the park. The duo will certainly have a lot of defending to do, but they will also look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not enjoy the majority of the ball.
Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz are expected to be the two attacking midfielders behind Jonathan David, who will spearhead the Juvenuts attack against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Rugani, Kelly; Kalulu, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; David
Key Stats
- The two teams have faced each other on 21 occasions in the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid have ten wins, while Juventus have come out on top in nine occasions.
- Juventus have not won the Champions League title since 1995/96.
- The last time the two teams met was in the quarter-finals of the 2017/28 season. While the Old Lady won 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, Los Blancos went ahead 4-3 on aggregate.
- Juventus lost the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League final 4-1 to Real Madrid.
- Real Madrid are heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins, while Juventus are winless in their last six outings.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has had a sensational start to the new season. The 26-year-old French international has 15 goals and two assists in his 11 outings across competitions. Having bagged the winner in Real Madrid’s last outing against Getafe, he will certainly be confident about his chances of adding more goals to his tally.
The France skipper has five goals in his two UEFA Champions League outings thus far in the 2025/26 season, and given his form, he will certainly have a big say on the end result of this fixture.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Juventus
Real Madrid will head into this clash full of confidence after a strong run of performances across all competitions. Xabi Alonso’s side look in complete control of their game plan, blending fluid attacking football with remarkable defensive stability.
Juventus, on the other hand, have looked far from convincing in recent weeks. Their defence has struggled to maintain consistency, and coming up against one of the most lethal attacks in Europe will be a real test of their resolve. Igor Tudor’s men will need a near-perfect display to stand a chance, but given their form, that seems unlikely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.