Both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have made it the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League this season but they don't expect them to take Wednesday's mouthwatering encounter anything but lightly. A fight to finish above Group F is very much on.
While German giants Dortmund will top the group even if they get at least a point from the match, the Los Blancos have to secure all three points to lead the group. The other members, Sporting CP and Legia Warsaw are already eliminated.
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has mentioned that the match is almost like a "final" in the pre-match presser. "We are not going to be cautious. We're playing to win," Zidane was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We're playing a final, a game that determines who wins the group and we're at home so obviously we want to put on a big performance."
The interesting thing remains that both sides are coming into this game at the back of an undefeated record, so one side has to suffer their first defeat of the campaign or maybe the result could turn a draw, in which case, Dortmund lead the group.
"The important thing about finishing first in the group is to prove you deserve to be first," mentioned Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel. "The confidence from winning or drawing here, with this atmosphere ... that is the value of winning this group. It is not an advantage for the next round from my point of view, more a reflection of our growth."
Expected starting XI
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Kovačić, Casemiro, Modrić; Vázquez, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Ginter, Papastathopoulos, Bartra; Piszczek, Schmelzer; Weigl, Castro; Dembélé, Reus; Aubameyang.
Schedule
Real Madrid vs Dortmund is set to kick off at 1:15 am IST (Thursday) [7:45 pm GMT, 2:45 pm EST] on December 7.
Where to watch live
India: TV: Ten 2. Live streaming: ten sports live.
UK: TV: BT Sport ESPN. Live streaming: BT Sport live.
USA: TV: Fox Sports 1, ESPN Deportes. Live streaming: Fox Sports Go, Watch ESPN.
Spain: TV: beIN Sports Spain. Live streaming: beIN Sports Connect Espana.
Germany: TV: Sky Sport 1 HD, Sky Sport 3/HD. Live streaming: Sky Go Deutschland.
Live scores: Twitter.
