Real Madrid vs. Basel: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
European Champions Real Madrid will begin the defence of their title when they take on Swiss outfit FC Basel at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos won the 2014 Champions League final in dramatic circumstances against their city rivals Atletico Madrid, as a Sergio Ramos header in injury time levelled things up a 1-1, before Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo netted to give Real an emphatic 4-1 victory after extra time.
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After making history by becoming the first team to win the European Cup for a 10th time, Carlo Ancelotti will be desperate to etch his name further into the annals of European football by becoming the first manager to lead a team to consecutive triumphs in the competition’s current format.
The road to achieving that monumental feat begins with a clash against Basel on Matchday 1, and to ensure you don’t miss any of what promises to be a pulsating encounter, here’s all the details you need on where to catch the match on the box or via an online stream.
Date: 16 September 2014
Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST), 2:45 p.m. (ET)
TV Info: Live on Sky Sports 1
After a difficult start to their domestic season, you suspect Ancelotti will be delighted that a Champions League gameweek has come around. Real have suffered back-to-back defeats in La Liga, and after the club sold key men like Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso this summer, the pressure is mounting on both players and manager to get back to winning ways.
But in Europe, this team were magnificent for long spells and in Cristiano Ronaldo, they have a player within their ranks who smashed all sorts of records during a stellar campaign in the Champions League last season, as noted here by Squawka:
With experienced figures like Di Maria and Alonso gone, the onus will be on the Portuguese forward to inspire this Madrid group to great things once again, and although Los Blancos have endured a testing start to their domestic season, Ronaldo’s two goals in the opening three games suggest he remains in excellent form.
But other players in this setup must step up and show their worth too. Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez were both brought in to replace the aforementioned departed duo, and they’ve yet to sparkle in a midfield triumvirate with Luka Modric.
Bleacher Report’s Tre Atkinson thinks it’s vital Ancelotti drafts in a defensive influence in the middle of the park to prevent further embarrassments:
For a clash with Basel, a defensive presence may not be quite as imperative as when playing one of Europe’s more illustrious names. But after the manner in which Real have fallen to defeat in their last two games, perhaps the Swiss champions will fancy their chances of springing a surprise at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Swiss side have impressed plenty with their European exploits in recent campaigns, perhaps best illustrated by the fact they were in Pot B for the Champions League draw; the pot where the second group of seeded teams are plucked from.
Basel have an excellent academy and an astute scouting system that has allowed them to flourish domestically—with seven titles in 10 years—and in Europe too—they made a run to the semi-finals of the 2013 Europa League before being knocked out by eventual winners Chelsea. And on their day, they’re a match for any side; they did the double over Chelsea in the group stages last season.
But having lost key winger Mohamed Salah to the Blues back in January and the talented playmaker Valentin Stocker to Hertha Berlin this summer, there’s a sense that this team is going through something of a rebuilding process.
Manager Paolo Sousa still has some capable players at his disposal, but the guile and ingenuity that has made this team an unpredictable opponent seems to be lacking and that should allow Real a comfortable day at the back.
And even though the swagger and spark hasn’t quite been there during the opening weeks of the campaign, this Madrid team has reserved its best performances for the Champions League under Ancelotti.
Sousa’s side will head to the Bernabeu, sit deep and look to spring forward after turnovers, but they won’t have quite enough quality to capitalise. Expect Real to snaffle a much-needed three points, as Ancelotti looks to go salvage what’s been an otherwise disastrous beginning to Los Blancos’ campaign.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2-0 Basel
