Real Madrid News
Underfire Real Madrid midfielder believes he is ready to start against Bayern Munich
In two days, Real Madrid will face off against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, aiming to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
The Merengues lost 1-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu last week, leaving them with an uphill battle heading into the reverse fixture in Germany on Wednesday night.
What complicates matters further for the Spanish heavyweights is the absence of key midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The French international will miss the game due to suspension for accumulation of cards.
It leaves manager Alvaro Arbeloa with a huge decision to make regarding Tchouameni’s replacement.
Eduardo Camavinga is seen as the most logical option to fill in for his compatriot. But his recent performances against Mallorca and Girona have raised major concerns, with the 23-year-old midfielder coming under intense criticism.
Camavinga considers himself ready to start
However, according to journalist Anton Meana on Cadena SER, Camavinga believes he is ready to replace Tchouameni in the lineup and start against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Those close to the 23-year-old French international insist that he considers himself physically and mentally prepared to step into the team against the Bavarians in the must-win encounter.
This comes amid reports suggesting that Arbeloa was considering replacing Camavinga with teenage breakout prospect Thiago Pitarch in the starting XI.
The other three midfield slots are confirmed with Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, and Jude Bellingham all set to start.
So, the final spot will be a toss-up between Pitarch and Camavinga, and the 23-year-old Frenchman believes he is ready to start.
There have been talks about his future beyond the season as well, but those close to him insist that Camavinga will stay at Real Madrid for a long time.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho sticks to his Champions League tradition ahead of Real Madrid’s clash vs AS Roma
Real Madrid are set to take on AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in Italy.
Having returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, Los Blancos will be eager to build on it and record their second win in Europe, after beating Inter Milan last month.
Mourinho continues his tradition
And, as reported by Diario AS, the Real Madrid squad trained at Valdebebas before travelling for their Champions League fixture, just as they did during Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013.
The approach breaks with the usual Champions League routine of training at the opposition’s stadium on the eve of a match.
Real Madrid had largely remained an exception to this trend. Mourinho was the first to change the club’s established procedure, but after his departure in 2013, the routine had returned.
Now, the club are going back to the approach he introduced. Following the training session, the squad will fly to Rome in the afternoon.
Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa followed the same approach
Xabi Alonso revived the practice last season in order to avoid giving direct access to his team’s preparations to the opposition. After Alonso’s dismissal, Alvaro Arbeloa continued the practice.
The team travel to the opposition’s stadium for the press conference, but otherwise complete their preparations at Valdebebas before flying out a few hours later.
Exceptions are made when the journey is too long to make the routine practical, as was the case with Almaty. Rome, however, is a relatively short trip, allowing Mourinho to maintain his preferred schedule.
Real Madrid’s flight is expected to depart at around 15:00, with the pre-match press conference scheduled for 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Four expected absentees
There were no new injury concerns, with Real Madrid set to travel without four players, all of whom were already expected to miss the match.
Eder Militao has returned to group training but still needs time to regain match fitness. Meanwhile, Raul Asencio remains unavailable after undergoing surgery for a fracture in his right tibia.
Ferland Mendy is also back training with his teammates but is expected to need slightly longer than Militao before returning to action. Rodrygo remains a long-term absentee.
