Real Madrid vs. Malmo: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Technically it's not a night off, but in effect it's very close to being so.
Having secured top spot in Group A with victory over Shakhtar Donetsk last month, Real Madrid enter Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Malmo at the Bernabeu with close to zero on the line. Sure, there's always the desire to prolong a winning run and build momentum, but this encounter will be more of an exercise in squad management for Rafa Benitez.
"This is the moment for us to rotate," the manager admitted on Monday.
What we're likely to get from Real Madrid in this one, then, is mix of resting stars, working key players back into fitness and a bit of tweaking and trialling (basically the opening chapter of the Rafa Handbook), particularly given that a crunch trip to Villarreal follows on Sunday. What will be interesting, though, will be to see which players fall into each category.
Indeed, the thing for Benitez at present is that a number of those who need to work their way back to full fitness and form are also his stars who would typically be rested for an occasion of this sort.
In attack, both Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are only just beginning to hit their stride following layoffs. As such, both would benefit from continuity, but Benitez will also be reluctant to risk them in a dead rubber—just imagine the backlash if either were to limp off in a game that doesn't matter.
In midfield, it's a similar scenario for James Rodriguez. Ditto in defence for Marcelo, who's available again after recovering from a hamstring injury.
"A lot of the players who've been out injured are returning and they'll need to start building up rhythm," said Benitez. That they do, but he'll need to be careful anyway.
For the visitors, meanwhile, Tuesday might carry just as little context as it does for the hosts.
With just one victory in five Champions League games so far, Malmo have already been eliminated from Europe's top tier. But that's not all; their entire season is almost over, too.
Unlike most European leagues, the Swedish Allsvenskan runs from spring to autumn rather than autumn to spring, avoiding the country's bitterly cold winters and running within calendar years. As such, Malmo's league campaign finished over a month ago in late October, and following their elimination from the Champions League, Europa League qualification is the only thing still to play for.
Thus, Malmo have been bordering on being in off-season mode.
Tuesday's visit to the Bernabeu could see them complete the switch.
Match Details
Date: Tuesday, December 8
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. EST/8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
TV Info: BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports and ESPN Deportes (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport Online Player (UK), Fox Soccer 2GO and WatchESPN (U.S.)
Form Lines
| W: 4-1 vs. Getafe | W: 3-1 vs. Molde |
| W: 3-1 vs. Cadiz | L: 0-5 vs. Paris Saint-Germain |
| W: 2-0 vs. Eibar | W: 5-0 vs. Gotene |
| W: 4-3 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk | L: 0-4 vs. Shakhtar |
| L: 0-4 vs. Barcelona | L: 0-2 vs. Norrkoping |
| L: 2-3 vs. Sevilla | W: 1-0 vs. Hammarby |
Team News
For Real Madrid, Marcelo has been included in Benitez's 19-man squad and could feature for an hour in a bid to build fitness ahead of the clash with Villarreal. However, Daniel Carvajal, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane remain on the sidelines, meaning the back four will again feature Pepe, Nacho and Danilo. Keylor Navas will also be missing in goal, giving a chance to Kiko Casilla.
In midfield, Luka Modric has been left out for this one, while Isco returns after missing the clash with Getafe because of suspension. Youngster Marcos Llorente has also been included in the squad.
In attack, meanwhile, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema have been included and will likely start—the Portuguese star rarely sits out and the Frenchman is still working toward full fitness—but Bale will be absent as part of Benitez's rotation.
For Malmo, defender Rasmus Bengtsson and striker Markus Rosenberg are both suspended for Tuesday's game after picking up their third yellow cards of the campaign last time out against Paris Saint-Germain.
Consequently, Kari Arnason, who's returning from suspension, will slot into the middle of the back four, while Agon Mehmeti is a candidate to start up front alongside Nikola Djurdjic in a likely 4-4-2.
In midfield, however, we could see the same four-man group of Vladimir Rodic, Oscar Lewicki, Enoch Kofi Adu and Jo Inge Berget that's been consistently used in the Champions League this season.
Predicted Lineups
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Real Madrid: 1-16
Draw: 13-1
Malmo: 30-1
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