Preview: Ronaldo 100-game factor boosts Los Blancos
European football returns at the Santiago Bernabeu where Borussia Dortmund last sealed their historic passage to Wembley. On Wednesday, the stadium will host Denmark’s København on Matchday 2 of the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League.
The pre-match hype has been marked by various things and the hosts, obviously, are the protagonists. All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo as he reaches a century of games in the competition. The 28-year-old Portuguese has scored 54 goals in 99 European encounters so far.
He scored 16 of those at Manchester United and the rest as a Real Madrid player since his £80M transfer in 2009. To celebrate his 100th game, he will be looking to grab a brace and hit a round number of 40 European goals for the Spanish giants.
The pressure is indeed on København’s defenders – one of which, namely Lars Jacobsen, stated hours before kick-off:
“I don't want to start a discussion over who is best, but for me Ronaldo is clearly the most complete. Very rarely do I meet an attacking player who is taller, faster, stronger, technically more gifted and better in the air. Nobody can compare with him.”
The pair met at Euro 2012 in a group stage game which turned into a nightmare for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal captain wasted a number of clear chances and had to thank his team mates for stealing victory.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the field, Iker Casillas will return in post. The Real Madrid veteran is eager to keep a clean sheet and increase his self-belief. Thankfully for Casillas, he could benefit from the return of Raphael Varane who turned into a fan favourite for his exceptional performances last season.
Also in contention for a spot against Copenhagen is Marcelo. The Brazilian has spent 364 days without playing Champions League football. He could be key for Los Blancos today. Last weekend, Real Madrid lost 1-0 in the Madrid Derby and fell five points behind joint-La Liga leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Consistency has been quite hard to find for Carlo Ancelotti while €100M signing Gareth Bale keeps struggling with injuries. Taking everything into account, København manager Stale Solbakken believes in his team’s chances as he told the press:
“Our immediate aim is to play a fantastic match here tomorrow and then to get maximum points against Galatasaray in Copenhagen. Obviously we need points away from home, too, and it is just possible that we could give Madrid a fright.”
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Real Madrid vs Copenhagen live on Wednesday, October 2, 2013:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet World Online
In UK at 19:45 BST on: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Sports 4/HD, Sky Sports Events Centre
In USA at 14:45 ET on: Fox Soccer 2Go, SiriusXM FC, Fox Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes
For live scores upon kick-off and LiveSoccerTV’s worldwide live listings, please visit the Madrid-København match page.
