The Uefa champions’ league group stages are almost coming to an end and many teams are struggling to cement their places in their groups while others have already sealed qualification in their respective groups and have nothing to play for in this game. This is the situation Real Madrid find themselves in when they welcome CSKA Moscow to the Santiago Bernabeu for the final match of the group stages.
There is no doubt that these two teams are on opposite parts of the champions league table. CSKA Moscow however still had something to play for in this game as they would be hoping to leapfrog Plzen in the table and secure qualification to the European league. However, to do that, they would have to ensure that they get something good from this game and hope that Plzen loses to Roma heavily. Real Madrid, on the other hand, would be coming into this game with a lot of calm as they have succeeded in taking care of the business already during the early part of the season. They would no doubt be looking to give the senior players a big rest coming into this game.
Given the difference in their position on the league table, it is of no surprise that they are miles apart when it comes to their current form. Real Madrid has simply been fantastic in their recent game. The last time they lost a match was against Eibar and that was some time ago. They have won their last six consecutive matches and would be hoping to get another victory when they meet with CSKA Moscow in this tie. Their opponents, on the other hand, are clearly the ones who would want the victory more as it would confirm their status and help them in their bid to gain entry into the Europa League. They would no doubt be aware that their form in recent times does not give them an advantage going into this match as they have lost a lot of games in the champions league alone. They would be holding for a point with the hopes that the rotation which is bound to happen would help their course.
Line-ups
When it comes to the lineups, as earlier stated, Real Madrid is most likely going to rotate their first team going in this match. With that in mind, you would probably expect the likes of Bale and Modric to sit out of this one. However, you can expect their coach Solari to mix the younger players with some of the older players to give them a good feeling coming into this match. For CSKA Moscow, they would be hoping that their main stars would be able to make a difference in this game. They would be hoping that sheer determination and other factors in this game would allow them to share the spoils.
It remains to be seen how this game would turn out at the end of the matchday six of the Uefa Champions league.