Real Madrid will clash heads with Benfica in the UEFA Champions League this Wednesday night as they look to secure a good result on the road.
Los Blancos managed to earn a solid 2-0 win over Villarreal recently, so they would be full of confidence going into this game.
Alvaro Arbeloa will set his men up in a 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make one tweak to his first XI for this clash. Brahim Diaz could play from the start of this game.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois will feature in between the sticks for Los Blancos after he kept a clean sheet in his last appearance. Raul Asencio will play alongside Dean Huijsen at the heart of the Real Madrid backline as they look to keep things solid at the back during the 90 minutes.
Federico Valverde will try to catch the eye as the right-back, while Alvaro Carreres hopes to prove his value on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will have to pick and choose their moments to join in on the attack.
David Alaba and Dani Carvajal will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.
Midfield
Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler will make up the Madrid club’s midfield. All three of them need to retain possession well at the centre of the park and engineer some clear-cut chances in the final third.Sports
Dani Ceballos will have to settle for a spot on the bench as he waits for his chance to influence the game in the second 45 minutes if required.
Attack
Vinicius Junior will try to put his pace to good use on the left flank, while Brahim Diaz gets the nod to operate as a winger on the left flank.
Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for Los Blancos up top. He managed to score a brace against Villarreal recently, so he would be full of confidence going into this game.
Gonzalo Garcia and Franco Mastantuono will have to be content with a place on the bench and might come on to make an impact in the latter stages of the game if Los Blancos are in need of a goal by then.