Real Madrid vs Club Brugge Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
After a fairly dismal start to their Champions League campaign, Real Madrid have the chance to right the wrongs of a fortnight ago when they take on Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
Their opening group stage clash saw Los Blancos fall to a humbling 3-0 loss against Paris Saint-Germain, placing them bottom of the group ahead of matchday two.
For their Belgian visitors, a home tie with Galatasaray ended goalless in their first match, but they'll surely be expecting a far sterner test when they head to the current La Liga leaders.
Here's 90min's preview of this clash.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? | Tuesday 1 October |
What Time Is Kick Off? | 17:55 (BST) |
Where Is it Played? | Santiago Bernabeu |
TV Channel/Live Stream? | BT Sport 1 |
Referee? | Georgi Kabakov |
Team News
Madrid welcomed back a whole host of players from injury for their most recent game against local rivals Atletico, meaning Zinedine Zidane will have most of his squad to choose from on Tuesday night.
The only absentees remain Marco Asensio, who is out for the season, alongside left backs Ferland Mendy, who is recovering from a muscle strain, and Marcelo, who trained alone on Sunday.
Brugge themselves are also without a left back, with Federico Ricca unlikely to be fit in time for the match. Eder Balanta is another big miss, with the key defensive midfielder out with a hamstring strain he sustained in their most recent league outing.
Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid | Courtois; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Nacho; Casemiro, Kroos, Rodriguez; Bale, Benzema, Hazard. |
Club Brugge | Mignolet; Mata, Mechele, Deli, Sobol; Diatta, Vanaken, Rits, Vormer, Tau; Okereke. |
Head to Head Record
It will be a case of unfamiliar foes in the Spanish capital, with these two sides having only met on two occasions prior to Tuesday.
Interestingly, it is the Belgian outfit who have the better record, winning one and drawing the other of their previous encounters.
Both came during the same European Cup season in 1976/1977. Firstly, Brugge left Spain with a credible 0-0 draw, before overcoming Madrid 2-0 at home to advance to the quarter finals before eventually bowing out to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the next round.
Recent Form
The Champions League thumping to PSG aside, Madrid are on a fine run of form that, while not spectacular, has seen them remain unbeaten in La Liga.
Most recently, they drew 0-0 with rivals Atletico in a tightly contested match to end a three-match winning streak that saw them earn scalps over Osasuna, Sevilla and Levante.
In the case of the Blauw-Zwart, they find themselves in superb domestic form, remaining unbeaten in all competitions so far this season.
Their last game saw them hit five past a sorry Mechelen side in the league, putting them top of the pile with 20 points from their eight league matches to date.
Real Madrid | Club Brugge |
Atlético Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid (28/9) | Mechelen 0-5 Club Brugge (28/9) |
Real Madrid 2-0 Osasuna (25/9) | Francs Borains 0-3 Club Brugge (25/9) |
Sevilla 0-1 Real Madrid (22/9) | Club Brugge 2-1 Anderlecht (22/9) |
PSG 3-0 Real Madrid (18/9) | Club Brugge 0-0 Galatasaray (18/9) |
Real Madrid 3-2 Levante (14/9) | Cercle Brugge 0-2 Club Brugge (14/9) |
Prediction
TF-Images/GettyImages
Pitting two sides against each other who sit pretty atop their respective top flight tables should make for an enticing encounter.
That said, the difference in quality in both leagues is undoubted, and this will be the biggest test of the season for the so-far undefeated visitors.
It would be wrong not to back the home side on this occasion, given the stark jump in quality of both teams' squads. However, Brugge are a side full of confidence and with an attacking threat of their own.
The home side should see this one through, but it might be closer than you think.
