Real Madrid will host Ajax on Tuesday in the second leg of the Champions League round of sixteen, and we’ll take a look at the possible Real Madrid lineup.
Santiago Solari’s side are running low on morale following their successive losses against their bitter rivals Barcelona, and will be desperate to assert themselves.
The Spanish giants had secured a 2-1 away win against the Lancers last month in the first leg of the tie and will be aiming to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Although Real Madrid have the advantage, Ajax are no pushovers. They had shown their calibre in the first leg and are expected to push Los Blancos.
Real Madrid Team News
Marcos Llorente is out with a groin injury and will not be available. Sergio Ramos will serve the first of his two-match ban in the Champions League after deliberately picking up a yellow card against Ajax in the first leg.
Predicted Real Madrid lineup vs Ajax (4-3-3)
Defence
Nacho will be a natural replacement for Ramos in the central defence. However, the genuine leadership and aggression which Ramos offers is certainly going to be missed by the Spanish giants in the midweek fixture.
Alongside Nacho, Raphael Varane might be given the nod to start. Varane had a good day at the office against Barca on Saturday as he made two tackles and won an aerial duel. Sergio Reguilon and Daniel Carvajal could start as full-backs in the Real Madrid lineup.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea custodian Thibaut Courtois is likely to start between the sticks. The Dutch side are expected to go all out in attack and therefore, the Belgian international will play an instrumental role in the game.
Midfield
Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro are expected to start the midfield. Casemiro is likely to sit deep in the midfield to dictate the tempo of the game as well as to cushion his side’s defence.
Kroos and Modric misplaced a lot of passes in the latest El Clasico and they must step up this time around. Intriguingly, Kroos has mustered a pass completion rate of 95.3% after seven outings in the Champions League.
Attack
Karim Benzema is expected to lead the line against Erik ten Hag’s side. The 31-year-old has scored four goals and has also registered two assists in the Champions League this term and will be aiming to up his tally.
Marco Asensio could start instead of Vinicius Junior on the left flank as the latter struggled against Barcelona at the weekend. Besides, Vinicius had started three games in the last seven days and Solari might shuffle his players.
Gareth Bale is expected to start as the right winger once again to give the offensive edge. The Welshman has managed three goals and two assists in six Champions League outings and will play a key role for Los Blancos in the final third.
Bale is under pressure after another quiet display against Barcelona, and the clash against Ajax is the perfect opportunity for the Welshman to silence some critics.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored