In their audacious bid to win the elite club competition for a fourth successive time, and for a fifth time in six years, Los Blancos enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Serie A outfit AS Roma on Wednesday night.
However, Madrid must refocus their attention on La Liga now where Barcelona have stolen a march on them.
The Whites host Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday after losing their perfect record in the league last week.
ROTATION PLANS
The big takeaway from Julen Lopetegui’s press conference on Friday was his intentions to fully avail all of the talent he has at his disposal as Real Madrid boss.
The former Spain national team manager insists he will continue to rotate his team, utilising the squad’s strength in depth to navigate a busy month of fixtures both domestically and on the continental stage.
“We have to go into it naturally and make the best decisions in each game, knowing the strength in depth we’ve got at our disposal, more than ever,” he said.
“Football is not about a starting XI – there are 14 players involved in every game. In a squad that aspires to win everything, every single player is important.”
One player who is certain to miss out is Dani Carvajal after he missed training due to an injury he sustained in the victory over Roma. Alvaro Odriozola is set to take his place at right-back while Thibaut Courtois replaces Keylor Navas between the sticks.
A plethora of options in midfield and attack in particular means there will be enough pairs of fresh legs against Espanyol.
However, after dropping points in a draw away to Athletic Bilbao last week, Lopetegui needs to strike the right balance to prevent losing more ground to rivals Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
Julen Lopetegui plans to use all of his squad.
RONALDO DEPENDENCE DEBUNKED
Once Cristiano Ronaldo left the Bernabeu in his rear view mirror, a running narrative this season was always going to follow the fortunes of club and player moving forward.
Madrid were branded the losers over a summer during which they failed to sign a superstar to replace the Portuguese. As the season has advanced through its initial stages though, the tables have turned.
Under Lopetegui, Madrid’s ‘supporting cast’ comprising of the likes of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio, have taken centre stage. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s transition hasn’t been quite as smooth. Barring a brace against Sassuolo to break his duck for Juventus, his performances have left much to be desired.
Having been signed by the Italian giants in a bid to conquer Europe, his Champions League debut for his new employers turned into a nightmare when he was – perhaps harshly – issued a red card in the 29th minute.
On the other hand, Madrid’s tournament opener – played simultaneously – saw them convincingly dispatch Roma 3-0 with Bale leading the way and their new No7, Mariano Diaz coming off the bench to score a peach of a goal.
Difficult start: Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t had it his own way in Turin.
MARIANO OFF THE MARK
It bodes well for Madrid that Mariano – who was re-signed by the club from Lyon this summer – has hit the ground running. Indeed, having already spent time at the Bernabeu, the prospect of a seamless transition was certainly a selling point in the deal to bring him back.
However, few could’ve hoped that the former Lyon man would open his account just 17 minutes into his return. It’s especially helpful given that he’s been handed Ronaldo’s No7 shirt and all the pressure that comes with it. The fact that his goal was a spectacular curling effort from outside the area, in the Champions League no less, is a welcome bonus.
Lopetegui will need the 25-year-old to relieve Benzema up front over the course of the season and if initial signs are anything to go by, the striker will make for a very dependable deputy.
Mariano was on target in Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Roma.
