Roma vs. Real Madrid: Match Odds, Key Players, Storylines for Round-of-16 Leg 1

All eyes will be on Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane on Wednesday, with the Frenchman preparing for his UEFA Champions League coaching debut against in-form Serie A opponents Roma.

Madrid head to Rome for their round-of-16 first-leg clash with the fascinating statistic of failing to beat Italian opposition over two-legs in a European tie for 29 years, per Pete Jenson of the Independent.

Here's a look at the odds for Wednesday’s matchups, with all odds courtesy of Odds Shark:

Roma to Win	3/1
Real Madrid to Win	10/11
Draw	3/5

Key Players

Per George Ankers of Goal, Cristiano Ronaldo has been in feisty mood ahead of the mid-week encounter, storming out of his press conference after firing back at journalists’ questions over his goalscoring record this season away from home—with 11 goals compared to his 21 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 31-year-old questioned reporters on whether they knew someone with a better strike rate. "Can you name one player who has scored more away from home than me since I've been in Spain?" he asked. "No, you can't; there aren't any. Bye everyone."

The Portuguese superstar also reacted badly to suggestions he has a poor relationship with team-mate Gareth Bale.

Per the Independent’s Jenson, Ronaldo hit back at comparisons of the evidently positive relationship between Barcelona’s front three Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, insisting: "It is not important. This thing about the little meals, the little hugs, the little kisses. To me that doesn’t mean anything."

Despite Ronaldo’s shortened temper, Real still possess arguably the world's finest striker—something opponents Roma are currently lacking. Edin Dzeko netted for the first time since November in the 3-1 league win over Carpi on Friday, per Soccerway, and the Bosnian needs to find confidence and form soon.

However, his sixth goal of the season may have come at the perfect time ahead of Real's arrival. The 29-year-old is known for producing purple patches, similar to his run of five goals in six games for club and country at the back end of 2015.

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

If the towering forward has returned to form, Zidane's defensive line will be probed and physically challenged throughout.

Storylines

Gareth Bale has not travelled with the Real Madrid squad to Italy, with the Welsh winger remaining sidelined due to his calf problem, per ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan.

Bale picked up his calf injury against Sporting Gijon a month to the day but Zidane is unwilling to risk his star attacker, noting: "Gareth is really important player for us, so we will not take risks—I want him at 100 per cent."

This season, injury concerns have seen Bale take part in just 1,164 minutes out of a possible 2,160, per Sky Sports’ Peter Smith and Nick Pepper, and feature in less than a fifth of European action—102 minutes of a possible 540.

The Flying Welshman took to social media to reveal he would be playing no part in the away trip:

For Zidane, it is a big moment, with the 43-year-old set to lead out a team in a European tie for the very first time. The former France international has won five of his first six matches in charge, but he faces arguably the toughest test of his young managerial career to date.

Per Jenson, there is supposed pressure on the former Galactico to end the hoodoo curse against Italian opposition, and he is widely expected to depart the Italian capital with a positive result.

Roma are a difficult opponent to judge in the Champions League and regularly falter on the main stage, highlighted in this season’s 3-2 defeat to minnows BATE Borisov and their failure to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage, despite holding a two-goal lead with six minutes to play.

According to Ignasi Oliva of Goal, former Real Madrid player Michael Laudrup believes Real are "clear favourites" for victory, but with Dzeko potentially returning to his best and the set-piece danger from Roma playmaker Miralem Pjanic a distinct threat, Luciano Spalletti’s men should not be ruled out altogether.