Real Madrid vs. Napoli: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for UCL Match
Real Madrid host Napoli in the first leg of the 2017 UEFA Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday, as the round of 16 pits the best teams in Europe against each other.
Los Blancos are the holders of the title after defeating Atletico Madrid in last year's showpiece final in Milan.
Gareth Bale is unavailable for the Spanish giants as he completes his rehabilitation to full fitness.
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Napoli qualified as winners of Group B, while Madrid finished runners-up to Borussia Dortmund in Group F.
Here is how you can watch the action:
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15
Time: 2:45 p.m. (ET), 7:45 p.m. (GMT)
TV: BT Sport 3 (UK only), Fox Sports 2 (U.S. only)
Stream: BT Sport App, Fox Soccer 2Go
Preview
Real Madrid are ready to cross swords with Serie A mainstays Napoli at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, as Europe's top-club competition restarts after its winter hiatus.
The hosts are still missing Bale, but the rest of their superstars are fit and ready ahead of the first-leg clash.
Juan Ignacio Garcia-Ochoa of Marca reported manager Zinedine Zidane has his "strongest possible XI" prepared for battle—as Bale watches on—with the visitors hoping to keep the tie alive into the second encounter in Naples.
The Italians are on a great run, having only lost three matches in Serie A this term but remain nine points behind leaders Juventus in third.
Napoli have struggled defensively compared to their major domestic rivals, and Zidane and his players will surely go for the throat in the Spanish capital.
The Real boss has switched his formation and rotated his tactics in recent weeks, but Garcia-Ochoa wrote Zidane will be progressing with a regular formula on Wednesday:
"Zinedine Zidane is clear that for the return of the Champions League he will bet on the players that have given him better results since he's been their coach.
The team will return to 4-3-3, with the two full-backs, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal, finally together after more than a month separated by injuries.
Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos will complete a strong defence whilst Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who have not played together since last January 21 when they won against Malaga at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (2-0), will provide excellence in midfield.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to lead the attack, and the Portugal international has continued to find the back of the net with metronomic ease.
The 32-year-old has 14 goals in 16 appearances in La Liga this term, according to WhoScored.com, but he has surprisingly only netted twice in the Champions League.
The Italian side need a good result in Spain, but Madrid have stormed to the summit of La Liga and maintained their top billing with consistency.
There is still plenty to come from Zidane's unit after an impressive first half of the campaign, and they usually burst into life when the knockout stage of the Champions League begins.
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