Real Madrid vs AS Roma – UEFA Champions League – Preview

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Sreya

Real Madrid hosts Roma at Santiago Bernabeau on 8th March, Tuesday in the second leg of their Round of 16 UEFA Champions League fixture. Real Madrid comfortably won the first leg of the tie by a 2-0 scoreline, courtesy goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jese.

Real Madrid have been in a rampant form under Zinedine Zidane, especially at home, although they lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in recent past. With the forwards and the midfielders in exceptional form, Real Madrid will look to inflict a heavy defeat on the Italian side.

Roma’s performances have improved since Luciano Spalletti took over the managerial reigns, but the Serie A club has to mount a huge upset, should they wish to progress to the next round.

Team News

Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Alvaro Arbeloa are sidelined through injuries for Real Madrid which will force Zidane to field a makeshift midfield. AS Roma have a lengthy list of absentees as well with Ezequiel Ponce, Daniele De Rossi, Norbert Gyomber, Elio Capradossi and Kevin Strootman recuperating from their injuries.

Real Madrid Possible Starting Lineup: Keylor Navas, Daniel Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Rafael Varane, Marcelo, James Rodriguez, Casemiro, Isco, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jese.

AS Roma Possible Starting Lineup: Wojciech Szczesny, Alessandro Florenzi, Kostas Manloas, Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Digne, Seydou Keita, Radja Nainggolan, Mohamed Salah, Miralem Pjanic, Stephan El Sharaawy, Edin Dzeko.

Thoughts From Both Camps

“Roma are a good team but I’m more worried about what we are going to do. Their forwards are very good. If you don’t do your job properly, you can be eliminated.”

Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid.

“I’m asking my team to do the impossible. The way they are training allows me to ask that. We have to score early then we’ll see what happens; it could change the balance of the tie. We must be confident when taking the initiative.”

– Luciano Spalletti, AS Roma.

Contributor’s Pick

According to Head-2-Head statistics, Real Madrid has won only two of the last six competitive meetings with Roma while the Italian club won on four occasions. However, Real Madrid have won six of their last seven UEFA Champions League matches with clean sheets.

AS Roma, on the contrary, have lost eleven of their previous twelve UEFA Champions League matches and have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six games in Europe.

On current form, Real Madrid are likely to win 3-0 and progress to the next round of Europe’s premier competition.