A win will be enough for Real Madrid to advance to the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 season. But the most successful outfit in the continental tournament are struggling, mounting injuries and unwanted results. (More Football News)
And their Group B match against Shakhtar Donetsk, away in Ukraine on matchday five will be a real test for Zinedine Zidane's side. The legend knows a win will seal their place in the last 16. But after losing to Alaves in La Liga, and with a long list of missing personnel, the record 13-time European champions can't afford more slip-ups.
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Here are the confirmed playing XIs:
Shakhtar Donetsk: Trubin, Dodo, Vitao, Bondar, Matviyenko, Kovalenko, Stepanenko, Tete, Marlos, Taison, Moraes.
Subs: Shevchenko, Marcos Antonio, Dentinho, Solomon, Alan Patrick, Maycon, Marquinhos Cipriano, Pyatov, Bolbat, Sudakov, Fernando.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Lucas, Nacho, Varane, Mendy, Modric, Kroos, Rodrygo, Odegaard, Asensio, Benzema.
Subs: Eder Militao, Marcelo, Lunin, Casemiro, Vinicius Junior, Isco, Mariano, Altube, Arribas, Chust.
Eden Hazard got injured, again. Skipper Sergio Ramos, along with other right-backs -- Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Odriozola -- are not in the 21-man squad traveling to Donetsk. But they will have Karim Benzema.
A defeat and their chances will hinge on the outcome of the final group match against Bundesliga side, Borussia Monchengladbach if other Inter Milan win their remaining matches.
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Los Blancos have only one win in their last four matches across all competitions — a 2-0 victory at Inter in the Champions League last week.
In the first-leg in Madrid, a youthful Shakhtar side had an upset 3-2 win in their first group encounter.
Check match and telecast details:
Match: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League 2020-21, Group B match
Date: December 1 (Tuesday), 2020
Time: 11:25 PM IST/ 18:55 CET (local time)
Venue: NSC Olympiyskiy, Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine.
TV Channels: Sony Ten 2/HD (In Indian sub-continent)
Live Stream: SonyLiv (Indian sub-continent)
Elsewhere...
Ukraine: OLL.tv, Futbol 1, footballua.tv
Spain: Movistar Liga de Campeones, Movistar+, Mitele Plus
UK: BT Sport App, BTSport.com, BT Sport 1
USA: UniMás, TUDN USA, TUDN.com, ZonaFutbol, Univision NOW, CBS All Access, TUDN App
Likely XIs
Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov; Dodo, Bondar, Matvienko, Cipriano; Maycon, Antonio; Tete, Marlos, Solomon; Moraes.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Varane, Nacho, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Odegaard; Vinicius, Benzema, Rodrygo.
