Real Madrid (A) - Wed 10th Dec, 20:00 | CL | Pre-Match Thread

[Gumzy97]

Hopefully he doesn’t play Savinho. Even in Savinho’s best form at Girona he was invisible against Madrid. Home and away

 

[Gray]

Not at all optimistic.

 

[domalino]

Not at all optimistic.

Same, I feel like all the hullabaloo around Madrid has peaked just in time for them to have a comeback performance against us. Mbappé being out could help them as much as hurt them, same as the Salah benching for Liverpool.

Their defence has been poor though, and you'd hope Doku/Haaland/Foden/Cherki can cause them a lot of problems.

 

[MCFC1993]

Same, I feel like all the hullabaloo around Madrid has peaked just in time for them to have a comeback performance against us.

Does feel like the type of game they win to stop all the nonsense around Alonso.

If Mbappe doesn't start though, I think we should be at least drawing this, which I think both would take.

 

[skillman]

I would be surprised if Pep has already made this call and told some random X poster or Marca journo. It would be a big call to drop the guy who made us tick, got man of the match and created another 2 gilt edged chances last time out. I guess like you Pep will make a strange call but for me I would start with Rayan who is high on confidence and a player RM would be worried about and then change it if needed. In other words we have to start fast and take it from there.

I also have to hope that the changes he made last time in the CL would factor into his thinking. Better to go for them tonight rather than think we will be ok later - we all know how that can work out.

FWIW, I don’t think team leaks are done by Pep calling journalists or messaging randomers on Twitter - but we get leaks every game day.

Let’s see. Hopefully it’s wrong.

 

[skillman]

Not sure what to expect tonight. They’re weak. So we could either compound the misery (see us last season or dippers in recent weeks) or they could choose tonight to make a statement and put any Alonso uneasiness to bed for the time being.

 

[Damanino]

top 8 is crucial, second year in a row we cannot make the same mistake of forcing ourselves to a whole extra playoff round especially as we were the only huge side that paid the price last season.

 

[waspish]

Second year with this Ai draw that we have had one of the worse draws in premier

 

[Rodri’s ACL]

Looks like Cherki to start so

 

[samuelyeboah]

Cherki on the bench according to Marca. Savinho probably playing due to his work rate on the weekend.

seems to be nonsense

 

[PitchInvader BHA away1983]

Looks like Cherki to start so

Never read it

My Spanish ain’t that good!! :0)

 

[foggy1974]

I love the jam

Hand on heart, who really thinks we can win the Champions League this season

Would you have bet on PSG winning it this time last season & had we not blown a 2-0 lead they would have unlikely made the play offs.

 

[skillman]

Phew. It was Marca saying Cherki was on the bench.

 

[Gaz76]

Mbappe in their squad, as expected.

Rumours (could be bollocks) that Cherki is being benched too. I’d be disappointed but not surprised.

It will be one of cherki or reindeer peps been swapping them for months

 

[MCFC1993]

 

[Stoned Rose]

Shit these. I reckon we batter them.

 

[youngbob]

He's gone from being out to being on the bench in the space of a few hours. He'll be starting.

 

[dublin-blue]

I watched them over the last couple of weeks. Liverpool were much better against us then they were against mediocre opposition.
Mbappe WILL play, don't be fooled by that fergie nonsense.

My concern is this is a UEFA competition. They will get every 50/50 and any goal we score will be scrutinized under a microscope to rule it off.

I'd take a draw but also wouldn't be surprised if we won 3-0

 

[samuelyeboah]

He's gone from being out to being on the bench in the space of a few hours. He'll be starting.

well we can only hope that the injury speculation isn't all 100% mindgames and he really isn't fit. we do the worst when the opposition presses us heavily. mbappe isn't that much of a presser anyway but if he's injured it could help.

 

[Chippy_boy]

4 nil city,

So we let 4 in against Fulham but RM at the Bernabau won't manage to score? I'll have whatever you're smoking.