Champions League Preview, Real Madrid Vs. Borussia Dortmund: Prediction, Starting Lineups, And Betting Tips
Match Preview
Two big teams of Group F, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, are ready for a clash against each other on match day six of UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
The match will be the fight for supremacy in the Group F as both teams are looking to finish as group winners.
With both teams already qualified for the knock-outs, Real Madrid must win vs. Borussia Dortmund if they are to progress to the last 16 of Champions League as Group F winners.
Los Blancos, who are yet to lose a Champions League match this season, are currently in the second place of the table with 11 points. With three wins and two draws in group-stage matches, Madrid trails leader Dortmund by two points.
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Zidane: "We are going to play it like a final and try to finish first in the group."? https://t.co/gGqoEQiD4h#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/NyG2lI8xML
— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) December 6, 2016
Dortmund, who leads Group F table with 13 points, has won four and drawn one out of their five group matches played so far. A draw will be enough for the German team to go through the next round of the Champions League as group winners.
In the first round of the group stage match played between these two European footballing giants resulted in 2-2 draw at Dortmund’s home soil.
Team News: Real Madrid
Real Madrid has been incredibly unlucky when it comes to injury to their key players.
Gareth Bale suffered an ankle injury, which has ruled him out for at least four months.
However, Real Madrid’s dressing room is enthused that German midfielder Toni Kroos has resumed training after recovering from a broken metatarsal.
Alvaro Morata, who has proved quite efficient for the Los Blancos this season, is doubtful for the clash as he is currently recovering from a knock.
The good news for Zinedine Zidane is that influential midfielder Casemiro is back on the team after several weeks of injury problem. He will be a vital figure in Real Madrid’s midfield to nullify Dortmund’s key attackers like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus.
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— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) December 5, 2016
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 95 Champions League goals so far in his career, and he definitely will try his best to score against Dortmund and get closer to a century of Champions League goals. He will want to reach that figure ahead of his rival Lionel Messi, who has 92 goals in his name.
Real Madrid: Predicted Line-up (4-3-3)
Navas – Marcelo, Pepe, Ramos, Carvajal – Modric, Casemiro, Kroos – Vasquez, Ronaldo, Benzema
Team News: Borussia Dortmund
Manager Thomas Tuchel is slightly worried about the fact that are a few injuries which have kept his players on sidelines.
Sven Bender will be unavailable for selection due to an ankle injury. Neven Subotic and Erik Durm are also declared unfit to play the match due to their ribs and knee injuries, respectively.
“The Prodigal Son” Mario Gotze is also ruled out of the match because of his knee injury. Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa might replace him in the team.
Hit-man Aubameyang, who scored twice in 4-1 thrashing of Monchengladbach last weekend, could be the key player for the away side.
Marco Reus scored twice in an 8-4 thrilling win against Legia Warsaw in last Champions League match. He is likely to start against the Bernebau outfit.
The likes of Marcel Schmelzer, Raphael Guerreiro, and Erik Durm are doubtful to start the match due to injury concerns.
BVB without @MarioGoetze in Madrid #rmbvb #UCL https://t.co/ieLMqNYJeX pic.twitter.com/tJtvnyKMnH
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) December 6, 2016
Borussia Dortmund: Predicted Line-up (3-4-3)
Weidenfeller – Ginter, Bartra, Papastathoupoulos – Castro, Sahin, Kagawa, Piszczek – Aubameyang, Reus, Dembele
Real Madrid vs. Dortmund: Head-to-Head
Total games: 11
Real Madrid wins: 4
Borussia Dortmund wins: 3
Draws: 4
Real Madrid vs. Dortmund: Prediction
Real Madrid must need a win against Dortmund if they are to qualify as group winners. The Los Blancos are in a decent form, and they drew against Barcelona last weekend, which is a positive result for any team. They will look to continue that momentum again on Wednesday.
Although Gareth Bale remains absent for the home side, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema can help to bag a win for the Whites.
Meanwhile, a draw is enough for the “yellow army” to progress as group winners, and they should set up their play to avoid a defeat at Santiago Bernebau.
Playing on their home soil, Real Madrid might emerge as a winner in this mouth-watering tie.
Final Predicted Score. Real Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund: Betting Tips and Odds
- Real Madrid win: 10/11
- A draw: 11/4
- Dortmund win: 14/5
- Under 2.5 goals: 13/8
- Over 2.5 goals: 4/9
- Both teams score: 4/9
- Both teams fail to score: 13/8
The odds were provided by Paddypower.
Key Stats to consider
- Real Madrid is 32 games unbeaten in all competitive matches.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored four goals in six Champions League games against Borussia Dortmund.
- Dortmund hasn’t won previous five encounters against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernebau.
- Dortmund has won their last three matches in the Champions League.
The Real Madrid vs. Dortmund stats were provided by Whoscored.
[Featured Image by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Bongarts/Getty Images]
