Real Madrid vs. APOEL: The Starting XI Jose Mourinho Should Pick

A lot of praise has rightfully been given to APOEL and their fairytale story in the Champions league this season, but there is no doubt that this will be a comfortable game for Real Madrid tomorrow night as they look to build on their three-goal advantage and advance to the semifinals of the Champions League.

While continuity is important and the primary goal for the remainder of the season should be to keep distance from Barcelona in the league, this home tie against APOEL does present an opportunity to bring in a couple of players who wouldn't normally feature among the starting XI.

The win at Osasuna on the weekend was a fantastic achievement, one where three points were picked up in breathtaking fashion. Importantly, nothing should be taken away from the difficulty of playing in Pamplona, especially at this crucial stage of the season.

But the Champions League quarterfinal second leg tomorrow night is an excellent chance to show Europe, and specifically, the Spanish League just how much quality in depth this Real Madrid team have.

Of course, there is plenty of respect that needs to be shown, and there is no reason to expect wholesale changes—no matter the opposition, this is still the knockout phase of the Champions League. But this game is a welcome tie that will not only allow Madrid to flex their muscles in terms of depth, but also to build up momentum ahead of a vitally important run of remaining league fixtures.

This is how the team should line up.

Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas had extremely little to do in the first leg last week. Every advance that was made towards his goal came to nothing, and the only noteworthy moments were either side of halftime, drawing a foul and catching a hopeful cross into the box.

Naturally, the Real Madrid captain will line up again tomorrow night, but with the side comfortably ahead 3-0 and with more goals sure to come, there could be a small window for which APOEL could get themselves on the scoreboard should the game significantly open up.

Madrid have made a habit of allowing cheap goals while at home this season, and even though they pale in comparison, Champions League quarterfinalists APOEL could take advantage.

Alvaro Arbeloa

Alvaro Arbeloa did well in the first leg and is likely to play again this week. He got forward well, but his final ball continued to let him down. Not a huge letdown, as his primary role will be to keep things tidy alongside the other defenders.

Raphael Varane

This might be another excellent time to throw Raphael Varane into the mix and give the youngster some much-needed game time. On the face of it, the tie is over, with the visitors extremely unlikely to get three away goals, let alone prevent Madrid from scoring, so why not let the Frenchman make another appearance?

What we've seen from Varane this season—albeit in small doses—has been hugely encouraging. He's confident, able to adapt to Madrid's high line due to his pace and absolutely has the makings of a future regular for the club.

By no means ready to play against teams of Barcelona's calibre, but with respect to APOEL, this should be a comfortable game for the youngster.

Sergio Ramos

Again, in a game where there is almost no possibility of losing, Jose Mourinho could opt to drop Sergio Ramos and keep him fresh for the tie against Valencia on the weekend. But with a good opportunity to bring in Varane, you'd certainly want an experienced defender alongside the youngster.

As the leader of the backline, Ramos marshals the defence well and will be one of the keys to preventing an opening for the opposition.

Marcelo

The left-back position in the first leg last week proved to be a small cause for discussion, as Fabio Coentrao was preferred over Marcelo to start the game in Cyprus. But despite Coentrao's efforts going forward, he was notably overshadowed by the performance of Marcelo in the final 15 minutes of the match.

Marcelo, while not as defensively astute as the Portuguese fullback, adds greatly to Madrid's attack, giving Cristiano Ronaldo a more than capable partner on his left flank.

Again, the tie seems to be over at this point, but momentum is always important at this stage. A good win for the team will obviously spill over into the next game against Valencia, and Marcelo will play a role in the team's performance in front of goal tomorrow night.

Nuri Sahin

It would be fantastic to see Nuri Sahin given an opportunity so early to build on his excellent performance of the first leg last week.

Brought in to replace the suspended Xabi Alonso, Sahin provided a reminder of his quality from his Dortmund days. He laid on a number of scoring opportunities, and despite waning a little in the second half, demonstrated that he is a very good alternative to Alonso.

Again, with eyes on the weekend, this is a good pit stop in the week to keep Xabi Alonso rested for Valencia. More importantly, it's a good chance to give Sahin more game time.

It remains to be seen what his situation will be come the summer, with a possibility of a return to Germany always there due to a lack of game time. But with his ability and quality, games such as this should be given to Sahin to allow him to build his sharpness and confidence.

Esteban Granero

Due to injury to Sami Khedira and Lassana Diarra, it would be a low-risk game to bring Granero into the centre of midfield. He's able to keep the ball well, seamlessly slots into the team whenever called up and adds confidence to those around him.

A underrated player who could show his importance—even as a squad player—over the next two months.

Kaka

By far the standout performer of the first leg, even if it was all done in only 15 minutes. Kaka has earned a place in the starting line up, and it would be another good opportunity to build on his already-excellent performances this year.

He brings drive, decisiveness and calm around the penalty area—something that was lacking for parts of the game in Cyprus—and he is always another likely candidate to get on the score sheet.

Mesut Ozil

This game has come a little too early to consider Angel Di Maria for a starting spot, so Mesut Ozil keeps his place.

Ozil was one of the key contributors creatively last week and will again be looking to add to the assist he laid on for Karim Benzema late on in the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo

He didn't have one of his best games in terms of production in the first leg, but Cristiano Ronaldo made up for it in outstanding fashion with his goal on the weekend against Osasuna.

Will Marcelo add to Ronaldo's better overall game? The Brazilian certainly has a better understanding with Ronaldo than Coentrao, and their link-up play will be a nightmare for a significantly inferior opposition.

Again, it's all about momentum, and a couple of goals for Ronaldo tomorrow night will be a great way to enter the important game on the weekend.

Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema's miss in the first half last week was forgettable, but his two goals and the vital opener rounded off a good display. His Marco van Basten-esque goal on the weekend will give him great motivation to add to his Champions League goal tally for the season, and his strike against Osasuna is surely something Mourinho will consider going into the second leg game tomorrow night.

A pleasant headache to have for Mourinho in terms of selection between Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Argentine get the nod to start either.