Who: Real Madrid vs Juventus
What: UEFA Champions League
Where: Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
When: Wednesday, October 22 at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 6pm (16:00 GMT) before our live text commentary streams.
La Liga leaders Real Madrid host Italy’s Juventus at the Bernabeu Stadium, with both sides looking to improve their UEFA Champions League (UCL) ladder position in the Matchday 3 showdown.
Real, who are one of just six unbeaten sides remaining in the UCL and sit second on the ladder behind Bayern Munich, would want nothing less than three points against Juventus before their next fixture against English champions Liverpool on November 4.
Juventus are languishing in 23rd position in the group phase standings – near the elimination zone – with only two draws so far against Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. They desperately need a victory against Los Blancos on Wednesday to keep pace with the leaders.
Here is all to know before their high-stakes encounter:
How did Real Madrid and Juventus fare in their domestic leagues this past weekend?
Kylian Mbappe extended his goalscoring streak to 11 consecutive games to help Real Madrid reclaim top spot in La Liga with a 1-0 victory at nine-man Getafe on Sunday.
After rivals Barcelona briefly displaced Real with a narrow win over Girona on Saturday, Xabi Alonso’s side restored their two-point advantage before next weekend’s Clasico.
Juventus lost 2-0 at Como in Serie A on Sunday, another disappointing result after five successive draws in all competitions for Igor Tudor’s side.
Juve slumped to seventh position in the standings, four points behind leaders AC Milan.
How many times have Real and Juventus won the UEFA Champions League?
Real Madrid have won the UEFA Champions League 15 times, making them the most successful team in history. They most recently won the title two years ago, in the 2023-24 season, beating German side Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
Juventus have won the trophy twice. Their most recent title was in 1996 against the Dutch side Ajax. Juve did make the UCL final as recently as 2017, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid.
What happened the last time Real Madrid played Juventus?
The two mega clubs last played on July 2 at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Real won the round-of-16 showdown 1-0, edging Juventus in a tight affair to reach the quarterfinals thanks to a second-half strike from Gonzalo Garcia.
The last time Real and Juventus clashed in the Champions League was on April 11, 2018, when Cristiano Ronaldo’s dramatic 98th-minute penalty sent Madrid through (4-3 on aggregate) to their eighth consecutive UCL semifinal.
Real Madrid team news
Alonso will continue to be without several starting-calibre players heading into Wednesday’s contest against Juventus.
Defender Dean Huijsen, who suffered a micro-tear in his left calf muscle during international duty for Spain in early October, is out of the squad. Initially diagnosed as a strain, the injury now threatens his availability for the Clasico fixture against Barcelona on October 26.
Austrian international David Alaba limped off during Sunday’s game against Getafe with a calf issue, and the 33-year-old is a game-time decision. If he is unavailable, then Raul Asencio would likely move into the starting XI.
The side is further weakened by the ongoing absence of four other defenders, as Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy are all sidelined.
Juventus team news
Coach Tudor will be without centre back Gleison Bremer as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery, with the Brazilian expected to be out until mid-November.
Also missing from the defence line is left back Juan Cabal, who continues to rehabilitate a thigh injury suffered in Juve’s 2-2 draw against Villarreal in the Champions League on October 1.
Winger Edon Zhegrova is questionable to play against Real Madrid after he reinjured his hip.
It is unclear which formation Tudor will deploy against Real after he ditched his preferred 3-4-2-1 setup during their upset loss to Como on Sunday.
Real Madrid’s predicted starting lineup
Thibaut Courtois (goalkeeper); Fede Valverde, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio, Alvaro Carreras; Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Franco Mastantuono; Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe
Juventus’ predicted starting lineup
Michele Di Gregorio (goalkeeper); Pierre Kalulu, Daniele Rugani, Lloyd Kelly, Andrea Cambiaso; Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Teun Koopmeiners; Francisco Conceicao, Jonathan David, Kenan Yildiz
Head-to-head
Real Madrid and Juventus have faced each other 21 times in the Champions League, with Los Blancos having the slight advantage in total victories.
- Previous meetings: 21
- Real Madrid wins: 10
- Draws: 2
- Juventus wins: 9
Form guide:
Real Madrid: W-L-W-W-W (All competitions, most recent result last)
Juventus: D-D-D-D-L
The post Real Madrid vs Juventus: UEFA Champions League – teams, start and lineups appeared first on Al Jazeera.
