CSKA Moscow vs. Real Madrid: 11 Key Players to Watch

Real Madrid will meet a depleted CSKA Moscow side, who haven't played a competitive game since December.

Here’s what I mean by depleted: Vágner Love will be partying it up with Ronaldinho at Flamengo, Igor Akinfeev has torn his knee ligaments. Keisuke Honda is still rehabbing his knee. Mark Gonzales is recovering from hip surgery. Aleksandrs Cauņa broke his toe, and Kirill Nababkin and Pavel Mamayev are suspended.

José Mourinho will be telling his players to beware the wounded animal in CSKA, but Los Blancos should win easily.

Here are the 11 key players to watch in this UEFA Champions League encounter. 

Pontus Wernbloom, Centre Midfielder, CSKA Moscow

Pontus Wernbloom's tireless performances for AZ allowed teenage prodigy Adam Maher to excel. CSKA Moscow took note and signed Wernbloom in January. 

Pavel Mamayev's suspension will force Leonid Slutsky to slot Wernbloom into a partnership with Evgeni Aldonin. 

Pepe, Centre Back, Real Madrid

Pepe marking Seydou Doumbia will be the most interesting facet of the game because it will reveal  how good Doumbia really is. 

In the past, Pepe man-marked Lionel Messi in a Claudio Gentile-esq fashion, so let's see how Doumbia deals with the Real Madrid centre-back. 

Vasili Berezutski, Centre-Back, CSKA Moscow

With more than 200 appearances for CSKA Moscow, Vasili Berezutski will anchor the defence against Real Madrid's imposing strike force. 

Karim Benzema should take note of Berezutski's knack of reading the play and charging forward to intercept the ball. 

This season, the Russian has intercepted the ball 19 times in six UEFA Champions League games. 

Kaká, Attacking Midfielder, Real Madrid

Ángel di María's unfortunate injury in the 4-0 win over Racing Santander, is likely to see Mesut Özil move to the right, thus allowing Kaká to start.

The Brazilian has been efficient when he has played, but one is still waiting for the £56 million Kaká, or the one who single-handily destroyed Manchester United. 

He's thrived in a system that has seen Real Madrid score goals for fun. 

The alternative option for José Mourinho is starting José Callejón, a favourite of the Special One, on the right and keeping Özil in the centre. 

Ahmed Musa, Centre Forward, CSKA Moscow

Last August, I listed Ahmed Musa as a player to watch, but my main concerns at the time was whether he really was 18. 

He didn't look 18, nor did he play like it. He was a cut above the rest. His movement off the ball and ability with it was first rate. 

CSKA Moscow signed him from VVV-Venlo, the same club that once had Keisuke Honda. 

Vágner Love's exit could lead to Musa being inserted into the starting 11. 

Tomáš Necid would be the clear choice to partner Seydou Doumbia, if not for the cruciate ligament injury he suffered. He hasn't played since June. 

Karim Benzema, Centre Forward, Real Madrid

José Mourinho has the luxury of choosing between two world-class forwards in Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín. 

Three goals in Benzema's last two starts will see him start against CSKA Moscow, whilst Higuaín hasn't scored in a month.

Alan Dzagoev, Attacking Midfielder, CSKA Moscow

Alan Dzagoev seems more suited to playing a central role, but whenever I've seen him play out wide, he's played excellently. 

Last year in a game against Spartak Moscow, Dzagoev provided three assists in the space of seven minutes. 

In the UEFA Champions League, Dzagoev started five games out wide and one centrally. 

Mesut Özil, Attacking Midfielder, Real Madrid

Mesut Özil's loping, elegant and seemingly effortless style not only is pleasing on the eye but is central to Real Madrid's attacking play. 

When he plays centrally, he provides an assist every second game, but he provides an assist every four games when he's on the right. 

Ángel di María's injury could lead to Özil being deployed on the right. 

Seydou Doumbia, Centre Forward, CSKA Moscow

With quick acceleration, good dribbling ability and an eye for goal, Seydou Doumbia is the main danger man to Real Madrid. 

He scored five goals from 15 shots, which is extremely efficient, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals from 30 shots. 

Doumbia made the Trabzonspor defenders look amateurish when he danced around them and scored a brace.  

Xabi Alonso, Defensive Midfielder, Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso may no longer be scoring goals from 65 yards out, but his presence in the Real Madrid midfield enables the more attacking players to prosper. 

For example, against Racing Santander, Alonso had 141 touches, completed 90 percent of his passes, made three interceptions and provided two assists.

He is a complete midfielder in every sense and one of the first names on José Mourinho's team sheet. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, Left Forward, Real Madrid

It's astonishing that Cristiano Ronaldo takes an average of 7.5 shots during the UEFA Champions League group stages. 

Imagine if he was more accurate, he could have scored a hat trick a game, meaning nine goals in three games. 

He's a complete attacker in the sense that he can shoot from long range, goal poach, head the ball and is a legitimate threat from a dead-ball situation.  

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