Real Madrid vs Juventus live updates: Champions League game team news, predictions and more – The New York Times

UCL
Advertisement
live
Updated 2m ago
Real Madrid continue their Champions League campaign today as they host Juventus in the league phase third round.
Xabi Alonso’s side are looking to maintain their 100 per cent record in the competition this season.
Meanwhile, Juventus go in search of their first Champions League win in 2025-26.
GO FURTHER
Cristiano Ronaldo gamble still costing Juventus as they return to the Bernabeu
Both Guler and Bellingham are highly regarded by the coaching staff and club.
Guler, 20, has shone this season, with three goals and four assists in 11 appearances, while Bellingham has just returned from shoulder surgery, featuring six times.
The Englishman will now have a more prominent role, just as Guler has been doing from the start of this season. But Alonso regularly uses a 4-4-2 system, which makes it possible for both of them to play together.
It is worth remembering they also have to contend with another attacking midfielder in Franco Mastantuono, who has played 538 minutes so far and is seen as another hugely promising young player.
Alonso himself has said in several press conferences that there is a lot of competition for attacking positions. That is why it is not surprising that we see him rotating Guler and Mastantuono.
But, if Madrid face a weaker opponent and Alonso’s team suffer injuries, we may see the three attacking midfielders playing together.
Advertisement
A photograph of Jude Bellingham in training posted by Real Madrid on social media this week has generated a lot of intrigue.
The picture, posted on Instagram, showed Bellingham suspended in mid-air, with a purple elastic band around the sole of his boots and holding a kettlebell weighing around 14 kilograms (31lb).
This exercise was not specific to Bellingham but part of a group activation done by all of Madrid’s players. It consists of a squat — but not as might be commonly understood by the casual gym-goer.
The rubber band helps players perform a muscle contraction while jumping at the same time, which helps develop the kind of muscle power that leads to the explosiveness footballers need.
Champions League football returns on Tuesday, and with it the challenge for coaches and managers to ensure players are ready to perform at their peak twice in one week. With just a few days between fixtures, teams face the dual challenge of recovering from one while preparing for another.
When this happens, the training week essentially disappears for those who are playing, says Geoff Scott, a high-performance specialist who worked in the Premier League for 20 years — most recently as head of medicine and sports science at Tottenham Hotspur — and is the founder of Hauora, an elite physiotherapy and performance centre. “For them, the week ultimately becomes about recovery, so they do very little high-intensity training if they’re playing in both games.”
There are also other members of the squad to consider, though: the ones who aren’t playing every match or maybe getting 20 to 30 minutes on the pitch across both fixtures. How does this condensed schedule work for them?
Juventus' key defender Gleison Bremer is not fit to play today, along with left-back Juan Cabal.
Midfielder Fabio Miretti is back in training and could feature, with winger Edon Zhegrova potentially fit enough for the bench.
Real Madrid's defensive injury woes continue with the confirmation that David Alaba is out for a week and will miss the next two matches at least.
Alaba, 33, was replaced at half-time as a precaution during Sunday’s win against Getafe — his first La Liga start of the season — and it was confirmed yesterday he had sustained a severe strain to his right calf muscle.
Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy (both thigh) are out for today and Sunday's El Clasico, while right-backs Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold could make Sunday but are unlikely to be risked tonight.
Centre-half Dean Huijsen is doubtful. Midfielder Dani Ceballos might be able to play a part today, likely off the bench.
After the first few rounds of the league phase, we have seen a few upsets already as well as three teams with a 100 per cent win record from their first three matches.
In the top eight, who will guarantee progress into the knock-out phase, we have big guns including Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
But there’s also a surprise package in the top ten in Qarabag, while today’s teams Real Madrid and Juventus sit at eight and 24th (with tonight’s game still to play) respectively.
Advertisement
There were some fantastic matches to enjoy yesterday — here’s a look at the scores:
Juventus received notification from UEFA last month that proceedings had been opened investigating the three-year period from the 2022-23 season through to the 2024-25 campaign, with an outcome expected in spring 2026.
A breach of the Football Earnings Rule could see the club hit with a financial penalty or potential sporting restrictions, such as a limitation on registering players within squad lists for UEFA competitions.
Read more from James Horncastle below…
GO FURTHER
UEFA opens proceedings into Juventus over potential breach of financial rules
Juventus’ Serie A trip to Como at the weekend was not a pleasant getaway from the news that European football's governing body UEFA has opened proceedings against them for a potential breach of the Football Earnings Rule.
Defending corners has been a problem for Juventus this season and a routine devised by Cesc Fabregas’ assistants Marco Cassetti and Cristiano Scazzola was their early undoing.
Como lost home and away against Juventus last year, including in their first game back in the top flight in 21 years. At the time, it served as a reminder of the gap between Serie A and Serie B.
By Sunday lunchtime, Como had closed it. They beat Juventus for the first time since 1952 and are above them in the table on head-to-head.
Winless in six games in all competitions ahead of their trip to Real Madrid today, Juventus had a tough weekend.
Real Madrid are not just one of the world’s most successful clubs — they are also one of its most secretive. The record 15-time European champions often do things differently, like how they announce contract renewals.
That is, if they announce them at all. On social media, ‘comunicado oficial’ has become shorthand for any major Madrid news.
Sometimes, new contracts are announced in this way shortly after they have been agreed, but often the Spanish club wait a long time — longer than a year with some players — to make these deals official. In other cases, they do not even do that.
The position of Madrid’s board is clear: any information in the media, even if it appears positive, could negatively impact the club’s business, influence ongoing negotiations or a player’s performance.
Xabi Alonso’s team are two points clear at the top of La Liga after Sunday night’s 1-0 win at Getafe — secured thanks to another goal from Kylian Mbappe, his 15th from 11 games in all competitions this term.
Second-placed Barcelona are Madrid’s next opponents on the domestic front in El Clasico (Hansi Flick’s team won 2-1 at home to Girona on Saturday), after Juventus’ visit in European action tonight.
In contrast to the rather desperate mood following the 5-2 defeat by bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in September, things are pretty calm and positive at Madrid at the moment.
Advertisement
Do supercomputer projections count for anything in modern football?
Arsenal fans will hope that they do after the Opta number crunchers projected before Matchday 3 that Mikel Arteta’s side are the favourites to win this year’s Champions League following the results of matchday two.
They were given an 18 per cent projected chance of lifting their first European trophy, though those numbers may have shifted slightly after they thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 yesterday.
Meanwhile, tonight’s teams are projected at five per cent (Real Madrid) and less than one per cent (Juventus) respectively. Ouch.
Well, there are plenty of matches to enjoy tonight — here’s a look at the schedule:
Matches kicking off at 8pm GMT, 3pm ET:
Are you a Real Madrid fan with burning thoughts on Xabi Alonso’s management
How much pressure is he under to win a trophy this season? And what are your feelings on the Champions League format this season?
Let us know and we will share your thoughts, questions and observations in our coverage.
Email us at: live@theathletic.com
There’s no better time to jump on board and join us with a subscription to The Athletic.
We have Champions League and Premier League action to bring you from the world of domestic football, as well as more World Cup qualifiers and AFCON on the horizon before the end of the year, too.
Plus there is the conclusion of the F1 season, NFL is in full flow and much, much more to keep you occupied.
You can sign up on an exclusive offer here.
Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
The famous old home of Real Madrid got a freshen up with a major renovation in the last few years and she is looking better than ever.
The 83,186 capacity arena has been open since 1947 and has seen many special European nights for its resident football team.
Expect a sellout tonight.
Advertisement
Fancy tuning in to the action live on TV ? Here's how you can do it.
The match begins at 8pm BST, local time in the UK.
Across the pond, that's 3pm ET and 12pm PT on the east and west coast of the United States, respectively.
Hello and welcome to The Athletic, where today we have a fantastic European clash to bring you.
That's right, the Champions League is back and Real Madrid are in action as they host Italian giants Juventus.
The third matchweek of the league phase in the competition continues today and every result matters for teams with ambitions of progressing to the knockout stage.
So how will things go? Find out here. We've got all the build-up, stats, quotes, predictions, team news and more.

source