Real Madrid Vs Atalanta: The Starting 11

The upcoming match is against Atalanta at home in the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium in the Champions League. The last Real Madrid game was against Elche which was a very poor game despite creating several chances from the start but last 30 minutes were good, and was hard fought win.

The team rating for the match against Elche can be found here: Team Rating

Right now Real are still recovering some of the players but need to win or draw at any cost to remain in the race. 

Earlier the away game was a 0-1 Win for Real. 

Looking at the

Injury list:

1. Carvajal
2. Mariano
3. Odriozola
4. Marcelo

Suspended:

1. Casemiro

Just recovered:

1. Hazard
2. Ramos
3. Rodrygo
4. Valverde
5. Benzema
6. Militao

Practiced:

The rest of the players are available for selection. 

Skipped Practice:

• None

Coach Comments:

• Zidane: "The most important thing is to believe in ourselves and what the game asks of us. We changed the system and the game changed. In the end, getting three points and staying in the fight for LaLiga was important." 

Other Comments:

• Benzema: "It's a team effort. It wasn't an easy game for us. Elche were well organized. Every team that comes here sits deep so we have to find a way through. We fight for the title. We know in LaLiga we have to fight more. It's difficult vs defending sides." 

Squad Updates:

This will be the Thirty seventh game of the season and Real have been really inconsistent in their games and so has been the results, they have had 21 wins, 7 Draws and 8 losses. In the last few games the performance has been poor especially in attack and with this recovering squad things are getting complicated as injuries are reoccurring.

Atalanta is a great attacking side and are good in the defense, so Real will need to be careful in all departments and be ready for their counters.

In the goal Courtois will start, he has been in a good form. He has supported the defense really well but has not received the same from the team and more so with so many injuries in the defense.

Mendy should start on the left. As Ramos is back after surgery, he should start. Nacho should get the nod ahead for the right back and Varane will start as a center back. Carvajal is out again so Lucas Vazquez should be seen as an attacking option later in the game if need be. So Mendy, Ramos, Varane and Nacho should start. Marcelo, Lucas Vazquez and Militao should be available as substitutes.

Modric has been slow for last 5 games but after the rest last game seemed to control the game well and same goes with Kroos and both should start. So, Kroos, Valverde and Modric should start. Isco, Arribas and Blanco should start from the bench. 

The forwards have been poor all season, they have been wasting so many chances in front of the goal.  Hazard is out and Vinicius should start on the left. With Rodrygo playing well, he should get his chance ahead of Asensio. And Benzema should start upfront. There is a high chance that Asensio gets a nod ahead and Vinicius starts as a substitute. Hazard will also be seen as a substitute.

As there are 5 substitutions available, ZZ should think for more rotations in the second half especially taking into consideration the team's fatigue and injuries for the next game's importance.

The probable substitutions will be: 

Vinicius > Asensio

Modric > Lucas Vazquez

Benzema > Hugo Duro

Rodrygo > Hazard

Kroos > Isco

So the formation would be 4 3 3.

The most probable kit to be used for the game will be the home kit!!!

So the final starting 11 will be: