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Real Madrid couldn’t get the three points in Warsaw on Wednesday, so it’s more complicated for Los Blancos to finish first of their group. Especially after Borussia Dortmund’s victory over Sporting Portugal in Germany. Now, the German team is two points ahead Zidane’s side, who have to travel to Lisbon in the next game and finish at Bernabéu Stadium with Borussia Dortmund.

The first position of the group was the goal for the Champions League title holder at the beginning of the competition. However, after the first four games, it might be better to finish second and avoid some big teams. On top of the that, Real Madrid used to play better the second game away rather than in Bernabéu stadium and when a team finishes top of the group, the first leg of the Last 16 Round is always away.

We have to remember at this point that two teams from the same country cannot play together in the Last 16 Round. Therefore, Real Madrid will avoid Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona, who should win their groups. Sevilla are also top of their group but Juventus are expected to win that position at the end of the stage.

With the two Spanish teams top of their groups, Manchester City and Bayern Múnich will finish second. So if Real Madrid don’t win their group, they’ll avoid them. Besides, Arsenal or PSG are also fighting for this position, so another one cannot play against the Spanish giants.

Taking this in consideration, Real Madrid could face in the Last 16 PSG or Arsenal; Besiktas, Benfica or Napoli; Leverkusen, Tottenham or Monaco; Leicester, Porto and Copenhague.

For instance, if the group stage would finish today, Real Madrid rivals would be Arsenal, Napoli, Monaco or Leicester City. On the other hand, if Los Blancos would be top of the table of their group, their rivals would be: PSG, Benfica, Manchester City, Bayern Múnich, Bayer Leverkusen, Porto and Juventus.

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Sergio Aguero

Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero was always linked with Real Madrid since he played in Atlético de Madrid. However, the Argentinian player decided to change Spain for England. Besides, Real Madrid didn’t want to break the good relationship between Atlético and Los Blancos, so they didn’t try to bring Agüero to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Now the situation has changed. Agüero left Atlético Madrid in 2011 and Real Madrid could think in bring him back to the Spanish capital. These days, the British newspaper Daily Mirror has published that Florentino Pérez club is trying to sign Agüero for Real Madrid.

The Argentinian striker is not very happy with Pep Guardiola. He didn’t start the game in Premier League against Everton and FC Barcelona. The rumours said that Agüero was not happy with Guardiola because he made him rum and pressure the defence. The coach called the Argentinian attention in these two games but he had good words for Agüero after the Barça game: “I want to be clear: I’m very happy with Agüero. I hope he could stay here a lot of time. He’s a very special player. We can’t forget how many goals he has scored here. When we committed mistakes, these are my mistakes”.

We can’t forget the goals Agüero scored for Manchester City. Last year, only in Premier League he found the net 24 times, only two goals less than in the previous season, when he scored 26, it was his best season in England. In his debut season, Agüero scored 23 goals, so in this time he has become one of the best scorers in the English League.

It’s not going to be easy for Real Madrid to sign Agüero. Real Madrid were banned by FIFA, so they cannot sign any new player in the next two transfer windows. Besides, Los Blancos already have three good strikers, with Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Morata. And, finally, it’s not going to be cheap. Manchester City paid €45M to Atlético Madrid six years ago.

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Real Madrid couldn’t beat the Polish champions on Wednesday in a game played behind closed doors. Los Blancos had really low intensity and they almost lost with a team with lower quality. The supporters, the players and the coach weren’t happy after this poor performance.

Zidane assumed his errors in the line up and in the strategy: “We lack a bit of everything, intensity, especially when you score two goals. It can happen that they put you in difficulties and that you receive goals. I’m the responsible of everything. At the end we didn’t lose and this is good, but the feeling strange”.

Obviously, the French coach wasn’t happy with the performance: “It was a difficult match. When you score two goals away, normally you have the control. At the end we put the rival in the game. When we conceded the first goal, it was complicated. We had a lack of everything: intensity, movements, motivation. Sometimes it can happen. The good thing is that we didn’t lose the game”.

Zidane chose to start with four strikers: Morata, Benzema, Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. The French coach was asked about this formation: “We were looking to win the match. It was more a 4-4-2 rather than 4-2-4. I wanted to play with two strikers, like in the preseason. It’s a formation we know, and it went well in the first half. After it’s been a bit complicated”.

The French manager also put a defense with three players at the end of the game, when he changed Coentrao for Asensio: “Yes, I’m happy. The idea was playing with three players in defense with the help of the midfielders. We were looking to win the match. But we finally got the draw. Sometimes you have to look for solutions”.

It was a strange game for the result and because they had to play behind close doors: “Probably, it has affected us, but it’s not an excuse. We knew it before the game. It’s been a bit strange. We are not going to change this. We knew that there were not going to be public, we needed to focus. We did it at the beginning but not in the whole game”.

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It was a strange game in Poland, both for the atmosphere and the result. Real Madrid couldn’t beat (3-3) the Polish champions despite taking advantage in the first minute of the game. Los Blancos played very relaxed with a very offensive team and they paid the consequences. Now, the first place of the group is even more complicated because Borussia Dortmund beat Sporting Portugal and the Germans are two points ahead.

Zidane decided to put Morata in the line up, but he didn’t replace Benzema. The French manager chose to play with four attackers, with Morata, Benzema, Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. It was part of the problem during the game, with the midfield lost, only with Kovacic and Toni Kroos.

The game started really well though. Gareth Bale scored a beautiful goal in the first minute. It was the fastest goal for Real Madrid in their history in the Champions League. It looks even easier when Benzema scored the second in the 35’ minute. However, Legia Warsaw reduced the gap in the 40’ with a great goal from outside the box from Odjidja.

The worse was still to come in the second half. Real Madrid couldn’t get another goal despite the chances -Cristiano Ronaldo played a really poor game again- and Legia equalized with another goal from outside the box from Radovic. There was a lot of time to take the lead again, but the team didn’t react and the Polish champion even scored the third goal in the 83’ with Moulin. It was unbelievable. From 0-2, Legia overcome and were winning 3-2. Luckily, Kovacic finally scored the draw 3-3. There was even time to win, but Lucas Vázquez hit the bar in the 93’.

The atmosphere was really strange and the game was even more odd. After leading 0-2, no one can expect to get a draw against the 8th in the table of the Polish league. Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane need to learn about this game. At least, winning the last two matches, Real Madrid will be the top of the table.

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Zinedine Zidane had to call a youngster from Castilla, Álvaro Tejero, to complete the list against Legia Warsaw. Tejero is a left back but could also play as full back. He had to be included in the trip because Sergio Ramos and Pepe are out for an injury and Marcelo has the flu.

Sergio Ramos and Pepe will be out another month and both will miss the game against Atlético de Madrid in 15 days. The Spanish defender could be back earlier and he is already running in the training sessions. So Raphael Varane and Nacho have to be the full back in the next fixtures.

Having this in mind, Real Madrid businessmen are thinking in bringing back Jesús Vallejo as soon as possible. The former Zaragoza defender is currently playing on loan in Eintracht Frankfurt, being one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga. He has contract until June 2017 but Los Blancos could pay some money to the German team in compensation for breaking the contract.

Pepe’s contract expires in June and the defender has not extended his deal yet with Los Blancos. This could be because Jesús Vallejo can take over Pepe’s job at Real Madrid for the next year. It might happen even before, as soon as in January, according to the Bild.

His coach, former Bayern Munich player Niko Kovac, talks really well about the Spaniard: “He is a machine. If he has no injuries, he has a great career ahead”, his manager said recently. Also the sports director of Eintracht, Fredi Bobic, said some good words: “The youngster is improving greatly, as we expected. And he will continue improving”, the director said.

However, the German club doesn’t expect to give back Vallejo in winter: “We have a good relationship with Real Madrid, we speak often and we will meet again. At the moment, there is nothing I have to say”, Bobic finished.

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We are going to see a strange game tonight in Warsaw. Real Madrid will play behind close doors in the Polish Army Stadium in the capital. Legia Warsaw were banned after the incidentes against Borussia Dortmund in the first game of the Champions League group stage.

The Legia Warsaw supporters held a banner where we could read: “Guess who is back”. When the game was about to start, dozens of flares were lighten up. Then, some supporters attacked the police and the stewards at the stadium, giving a very poor show in the Champions League. This is the fourth time in the last years than the Polish team has to play without their supporters.

We are going to listen all the instructions and the players conversations. It will be strange for the footballers because they might think that they are training or playing a friendly game, but it’s a Champions League clash. For all Real Madrid players it will be their first time competing without public, but this is not the first time for the club.

The last time was in 2004. Real Madrid played at the Olímpico in Rome. In the previous game, the Swedish referee Anders Frisk was hit by a coin or a lighter in the game against Dynamo Kiev at the half time in September 2004. UEFA decided to suspend the match, giving the victory to the Ukrainian game, and the closure of the stadium. Real Madrid were the next team to visit the Olímpico and Los Blancos won 0-3 without supporters. Figo -twice- and Ronaldo scored the goals. In the team was also Zinedine Zidane.

Several years before, in the season 1987-1988, Real Madrid had to play at Santiago Bernabéu stadium behind closed doors against Italian champions Napoli, with Maradona in the pitch. The Argentinian was received at the airport for thousand of supporters but he had to play without public. Real Madrid won that night 2-0 and earned the ticket to the next round in the European Cup.

Actually, Real Madrid had to play also another game in a different stadium for the bad behaviour of their supporters. This time they faced European champions Porto in Valencia with public. This time Real Madrid also won 2-1 against the Portuguese side.

Recently, we saw Real Madrid playing another game far from home. It was in 1998, after Los Blancos conquered the 7th Champions League in their history. In the first leg of the semifinals against Borussia Dortmund, Ultras Sur -Real Madrid hooligans- knock down a goal minutes before the kick off. The game was delayed several minutes and UEFA banned Real Madrid. Los Blancos had to play against Inter Milan the first game outside Madrid and they decided to travel to Sánchez Pizjuán in Seville. Real Madrid also won that game (2-0) with Fernando Hierro and Seedorf scoring the goals.

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Zinedine Zidane spoke before the game against Legia Warsaw with Nacho Fernández, who will start tomorrow because Real Madrid cannot play with Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Marcelo. The Wednesday match will be the number 100 for Zidane in his career as a coach.

After two titles and only two defeats with Real Madrid, the French manager is very exigent: “I have to improve everything. I’m happy for the 100 games. There is always time to learn. Hopefully I can stay a lot of time in this club”.

It will be a strange game for Real Madrid, because the stadium will be closed, without supporters. Zidane played a game like this in 2004 in Roma and Los Blancos won: “Without supporters it will be a different game. But my players are professionals. They know the importance of this game. We have to be focused. We are very motivated, it’s Champions League. From Rome I remember a strange feeling”.

It should be an easy game for Los Blancos, especially according to what we saw 15 days ago: “Tomorrow we are going to have a very difficult game, until a good rival. It’s a team that can put you in difficulties in any moment. We’re going to respect this team to earn the points”.

One of the most important points of the game is seeing if whether Morata or Benzema will play: “I know these are two important players. Everyone is going to have their minutes. I know that your concern it’s always to be the same. You ask the same and I’ll answer the same. I know what you’re looking for… […] Tomorrow you’re going to see who is going to play”.

Another challenge for Los Blancos in Poland is having a clean sheet, after conceding goals even against Cultural Leonesa: “I’m not worried, but it’s a fact. Every game we receive a goal. Also in Copa we receive a goal at the end and it always bother me. You cannot control everything nor being the best. Of course we can improve”, said the French coach before the Champions League game.

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Real Madrid face Legia Warsaw on Wednesday in a very special day for Zinedine Zidane. The French manager will manage his 100th game as a coach after his debut in 2014 with Castilla in the Spanish Third Division. It was less than a year when the coach took over Benítez’s job and he has won two titles already in this time.

The stats of Zinedine Zidane are great, especially in the first team. In 100 games, he won 58, drew 25 and lost 16. However, with Real Madrid he has only lost two games, against Atlético de Madrid in La Liga and Wolfsburg in the Champions League quarter-finals.

He started training in 2014 with a defeat against Atlético de Madrid B in 2014. That year, Castilla couldn’t promote to the Second Division after finishing sixth in the table, so out of the play-off positions. The next year, Castilla were second in the table but Florentino Pérez asked Zidane to replace Benítez in the first team. Castilla, with Iván Ramis on the bench, couldn’t win the promotion either.

As a coach of Real Madrid, Zidane has won two titles in only ten months and he has only lost two games. Besides he ended the last season with 12 straight wins, fighting La Liga title until the end. However, his best success was winning the Champions League in Milan against Atlético de Madrid. Zidane won the Champions League trophy in 2002 as a player, in 2014 as an assistant coach and in 2016 as a manager.

Apart from the game against Atlético de Madrid, Zidane also had great success against Roma in his Champions League debut (0-2), against Wolfsburg (3-0) over coming after a defeat in Germany, and against Manchester City, getting the ticket to the final.

He only played once against Barcelona. The French manager won (1-2) despite the opening goal from Gerard Piqué. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the last goal, giving the confidence to the team to fight La Liga until the end.

His last success was winning the European Supercup against Sevilla in summer in Trondheim. The team was again very lucky because they had to wait until the last minute to equalize the game -again Sergio Ramos-. Daniel Carvajal scored the final goal.

99 games of happiness that should continue against Legia Warsaw in the Champions League draw.

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Zinedine Zidane made public the list to face Legia Warsaw on Wednesday before travelling to Poland on Tuesday morning. The Spanish giants won’t have available very important players in the squad, including Marcelo and James Rodríguez, who will stay in the capital.

Both were supposed to start the game in the Champions League but have some physical problems and the coach has decided to give them some rest. Marcelo spent injured around one month and he was only back three weeks ago, after the national teams fixtures.

Same applies for James Rodríguez. The Colombian couldn’t play with his national team but had a good performance one week ago against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey. Isco has overcame him in the last games and James is still spending some time on the bench. He was supposed to be back to the starting eleven against Legia, but he’ll have to wait until Sunday, when Real Madrid face Leganés.

Pepe is also out of the list. The Portuguese suffered an injury against Alavés last Saturday and he will be out of the pitch one month. So Pepe will miss the game against Atlético de Madrid in two weeks time. Sergio Ramos is still out with problems in the knee, so Nacho and Varane are the only full backs available.

Zinedine Zidane has called also Álvaro Tejero, a youngster from Castilla who can play both as a left back and full back. He made his debut with Real Madrid last year against Cádiz in the Copa del Rey.

Luka Modric or Casemiro are also injured, so Kroos, Isco and Asensio are expected to start the game against Legia Warsaw. Mateo Kovacic could also appear in the line up.

This is the full list for the game against Legia Warsaw:

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Casilla and Rubén Yáñez.
Defenders: Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Coentrão, Danilo and Tejero.
Midfielders: Kroos, Kovacic, Asensio and Isco.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale, Lucas Vázquez, Mariano and Morata.

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Legia v Real Madrid will be the next fixture for Los Blancos, who can go through to the Last 16 Round in the Champions League if they beat the Polish champions. The game will be held without supporters, after the ban suffered by Legia for the incidents against Borussia Dortmund.

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Legia v Real Madrid Preview

Real Madrid will travel to Poland with the good news of the last five games. Los Blancos have beaten all their last rivals and they are still top of the table in the Spanish league. The Champions League title holder thrashed Alavés at Mendizorroza on Saturday with a hat trick scored by Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese has been criticized in the last weeks after his bad performances but he’s back on track. Besides his colleague in the attacking line, Gareth Bale has renewed his contract with Los Blancos until 2022. Morata could be the third striker after his good performances in the last games. Pepe is injured, so Nacho will be in the defence with Raphael Varane. Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Casemiro continue with their recovery. Zidane has also left at home Marcelo and James Rodríguez.

The Polish champion has won the last two games in their league but they are far from the top of the table. In Champions League they haven’t got any points in the last three games, scoring only one goal. They won’t have the help of their supporters because UEFA banned the Polish side, so the game will be played in an empty stadium.

legia-v-real-madrid

Team Predictions Legia Warsaw v Real Madrid

Legia (4-5-1): Malarz; Hlousek, Czerwinski, Rzezniczak, Bereszinski; Moulin, Jodlowiec, Guolherme, Odidja-Ofoe, Radvoic; Nikolics.
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Danilo, Nacho, Varane, Carvajal; Kroos, Isco, Asensio; Bale, Cristiano and Morata.

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Legia v Real Madrid Betting Tips

Legia have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 6 games out of the last 10.
Real Madrid have won 6, drawn 4 and lost 0 of the last 10 games.
In the last 10 games, Legia Warsaw have scored an average of 1,5 goals and have received and average of 2,1 goals.
In the last 10 games, R. Madrid have scored an average of 3,2 goals per game and have conceded 1,1 goals per game.
There have been over 2,5 goals in 8 of the last 10 Legia games.
There have been 2,5 goals in 7 of the last 10 Madrid games.

Legia Warsaw v Real Madrid Prediction

Real Madrid should have an easy evening in Warsaw. The Champions League title holder is showing great quality in the last games, especially when they are playing away. They thrashed Betis (1-6), Cultural Leonesa (1-7) and Alavés (1-4) in their last three games far from the Spanish capital.
Besides, we’ve seen the big gap between these two teams. Two weeks ago, Real Madrid beat really easily Legia Warsaw with a very offensive team. Cristiano Ronaldo will be eager to score after missing a lot of chances in their previous game.
We can also expect Legia Warsaw to score. At Bernabéu they had many chances and Real Madrid are having some difficulties in the defence. Keylor Navas saved a couple of good chances against Alavés and Los Blancos didn’t have a clean sheet since the 18th of September against Espanyol.

Free Betting Tips

Match Prediction

Real Madrid to win 1/9 at Bet365.

Over/Under Prediction

Over 2,5 goals a 1/4 at Bet365.

Result

Real Madrid to win for 1-5 18/1 at Bet365.

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