[ad_1]
In a group where all four teams are still at stake, there is everything to win and everything to lose.
Few anticipated this scenario when the draw took place many weeks ago at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Real Madrid desperately needed a result against group leaders Borussia Monchengladbach to avoid falling out of the Europa League.
Losing to the Germans and Inter Milan beat Shakhtar Donetsk and Zinedine Zidane’s team would be out of Europe full stop. They have 90 minutes left to avoid their own The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The pressure is mounting on Zidane as he is and that is with his hopes of a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League still alive, albeit with a weakening pulse.
On the setback in Germany they were lucky, a draw by Casemiro in the 93rd minute deprived an impressive Monchengladbach of three points.
And so now a point separates Monchengladbach in first place and Real Madrid in third. Like Manchester United on Tuesday night, Real are faced with a winner-take-all scenario and, unlike Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, Zidane’s team is intent on taking it.
Sportsmail breaks where it can be dropped by a misplaced Real.
What exactly does Real need tonight?
It is a fair question, although full of permutations.
Defeat and, like Manchester United found out against the German opposition, they are in the Europa League. If Real lose and Shakhtar Donetsk lose to Inter Milan, Real come last in Group B.
Whites have emerged from the 24 groups they have been a part of during the modern era of the Champions League. An impeccable record that runs the risk of being corrupted.
If Inter beat the Ukrainians, one point will be enough for Real and Mönchengladbach.
So yeah, there’s still a lot to play for.
Dressing room issues
Keeping the peace is much easier when you are winning and in Zidane’s first stage in command, that was practically all Real did. Win, win, win and win some more.
But things are different now. The team is older, more susceptible to injury, suffers longer streaks of poor form and the old guard has a hard time playing well with the emerging youngsters.
Just last week there was a report in the Spanish newspaper Sport that there has been a “total break” in the relationship between Zidane and his players.
He is claimed to have lost faith in Eden Hazard, who suffered another injury setback recently against Alavés, and Martin Odegaard, as well as Brazilian pair Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr.
Zidane is also said to not trust a large part of his current squad to perform on the field and is particularly irritated by the attitudes of the seasoned pair Marcelo and Toni Kroos.
But this is not an isolated report of discord this season, far from it.
In October, forward Karim Benzema was caught on camera accusing Vinicius of “playing against us” while speaking to Ferland Mendy during their 2-2 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Don’t play with it. In my mother’s life, he [Vinicius] play against us, ” he told French defender Mendy. The winger was heard replying: “When he gets scared, he loses what makes him great.”
Vinicius Jr downplayed talking about a breakup as ‘just noise’, but it was an episode that highlighted the stress bubbling up in the group.
Last month, Benzema’s agent lashed out at defender Raphael Varane, saying the Frenchman has been “a shadow of himself.” Again, not very conducive to incredible team spirit.
More recently, Spanish media Diario Sport reported that Madrid captain Sergio Ramos launched an attack on Isco and Marcelo for their disappointing displays when they featured.
Suffers elimination from the Champions on Wednesday night and Zidane could have a riot on his hands.
Would defeat cost Zidane his job?
It is not a question of the Frenchman being entertained on the eve of his most important game so far this season and that makes sense.
But while he has credit in the bank for handing out three consecutive Champions League titles at the Santiago Bernabéu, patience is said to be wearing thin for Zidane and this current incarnation of the team.
He has remained optimistic, insisting that he will not resign and instead power will be with the club depending on how it plays out Wednesday night.
“The club will do what it has to do (in case of not qualifying), as it always does, but I only think about the game,” Zidane said on Tuesday.
‘I’m not thinking about anything other than winning. I am focused on tomorrow’s game and we know what we have to do. It will be tough, but we have to be able to leave the field satisfied with our work.
‘We know there is another match in progress (Inter against Shakhtar), but we are only thinking about our game. We are faced with a tough side that will make life difficult for us.
‘We know exactly what the situation is. We want to get the three points and finish first in the group; that’s what we’re all thinking about. All games are important, but this is a great opportunity to show what we are as a team ”.
Fourth in LaLiga and looking the Europa League in the eye, if things are not uncomfortable for Zidane at the moment, the defeat would certainly help increase the tension.
What about form and injuries?
Well, Zidane must prepare his team with only one fit senior forward: Benzema.
Luka Jovic has tendinosis in the adductor muscles of his right leg, while Mariano Díaz is unavailable due to his own injury.
And so, in a sense, it is Benzema or Busto in attack in what is an essential match at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium.
Real are also without Eden Hazard and also without midfielder Martin Odegaard. But, and this is the big one, Ramos could well make a timely return to the side.
“It is the most important game of the season and we are focused only on that,” Brazilian midfielder Casemiro told reporters.
‘It is a final and we are going to give everything. We are not considering any other outcome other than a victory. The opponents are the first in the table, but we have to understand that it is in our own hands.
“We want to go out and give everything, we know it will be difficult, but if we win we pass.”
Madrid have preferred life on the road in recent times: the two victories in their last five games were all outside the Spanish capital.
On the contrary, Mönchengladbach has become quite used to playing at their Borussia Park stadium, something they will have to overcome on Wednesday.
They deserved to beat Real on the backhand, only for Casemiro to hit in injury time to make it 2-2, and boss Marco Rose knows his brave side is on the cusp of history.
“Borussia can achieve something historic,” he said.
“That we can eliminate Real Madrid does not matter to us.
‘We are ready for the game and we know our duty. So there is no reason to be nervous. We are looking forward to the challenge and we want to take advantage of our good position ”.
Rose hopes Nico Elvedi can pass a late fitness test, but will have to be without Tony Jantschke, Ramy Bensebaini and Jonas Hofmann.
Why is Monchengladbach a hazard?
Rose’s side are off to a solid, if unspectacular, start to their latest Bundesliga campaign, but they remain one of the most exciting young teams to watch in Germany.
The loss to Inter Milan last week was a real disappointment, but this young group has developed an impressive big-game mentality that will be vital in Spain.
The Foals have a solid record when it comes to getting results in the really big games, having won three of their last six meetings with Bayern Germany.
They also defeated Roma at home in last season’s Europa League and earned a creditable draw with Manchester City during the 2016-17 season.
Matches against Real Madrid were common during Mönchengladbach’s decade of glory in the 70s, and they also faced them during the 80s. In four games, the Bundesliga team won once, drew two and suffered only one defeat.
This is a team packed with goals too.
Only once in his last seven games has he scored fewer than two goals. In total they have scored 22 in seven games, a warning to Real that mistakes will be punished.
Add to that the fact that Real have failed to keep a single clean sheet in their last five home games, it’s only fair to expect goals when the whistle blows on Wednesday night.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
