Basel vs. Real Madrid: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Real Madrid and FC Basel will both put incredible streaks on the line when they face off on Wednesday in Switzerland on Matchday 5 of the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League.
Los Blancos have already secured passage to the knockout stages and can win Group B outright by not losing by more than three goals on Wednesday. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has the chance to equal Jose Mourinho's win streak of 15 matches, via Goal's Jack Davies, but it won't come easy against Basel.
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The hosts have yet to concede a single goal in November, per WhoScored.com, and they have won every Champions League match they've played at home in this campaign so far.
The Swiss outfit will have qualification on their minds, and victory over Real would see Basel avoid a tricky winner-takes-all trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool on the final matchday.
Date: Wednesday, November 25
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel
TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports 3 (for UK viewers) and Fox Sports (for US viewers), with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app, NOW TV and Fox Soccer 2Go.
Qualification Scenarios
Real Madrid have already qualified.
FC Basel will qualify if:
- Basel defeat Real Madrid, Liverpool don't defeat Ludogorets Razgrad.
Preview
Real Madrid have won an incredible 14 straight matches—Basel are unbeaten in their last six, winning five of those, and they have yet to concede in November. To say Wednesday's clash will pit two in-form teams against each other would be an understatement.
Champions League holders Real are the favourites coming into the match, and they'll be aided by the fact the hosts will be without the suspended Serey Die, as confirmed by the club's official Twitter feed:
The 30-year-old plays a pivotal role in midfield for the Swiss outfit, shielding the back four from advancing attackers. He was one of the top performers in Basel's 1-0 win over Liverpool, and his calming influence will certainly be missed.
Los Blancos have one or two injury concerns of their own, as Goal confirmed Pepe and Sami Khedira didn't make the trip to Switzerland:
Khedira's absence means Isco will all but certainly start in place of the injured Luka Modric, while France international Raphael Varane is the obvious choice to replace Pepe in the heart of the defence.
The defending champions have already qualified for the next round, and barring two massive upsets in the final two matchdays, they should lock up the top seed in Group B. Even a loss by three goals or less would suffice on Wednesday.
Ancelotti has no intention of fielding a team of fringe players, however, via ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:
The Italian manager believes Wednesday's match has all the ingredients to be a top fixture:
Fabian Schar will be tasked with leading the hosts' back four against Real's powerful attack, giving the highly-rated 22-year-old another opportunity to showcase his talents in front of an audience of millions.
As talented as he may be, Los Blancos just have too much quality in the attacking third. The loss of Modric no doubt hurts, but Isco has all of the tools to run the attack just as efficiently.
With Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez all at the top of their game, don't expect Basel's streak of clean sheets to continue.
Final Prediction: FC Basel 1-2 Real Madrid
