Real Madrid will host AS Monaco on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu for the Champions League debut of Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso on the bench for the Spanish giants. Real Madrid are coming off an eventful weekend as the Spanish giants were whistled by the home fans following defeats against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final and the shocking loss against second division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey. Brazilian star Vinicius Jr was targeted by the Real Madrid fans on Saturday, as the player was constantly booed before and during the 2-0 win against Levante. Spanish manager Arbeloa addressed the situation involving the home fans and the Real Madrid star during the pre-game press conference. “What he wants, and what I expect, want and wish for, is that the Bernabeu will support and get behind every player and of course, that includes Vinicius Jr. This is a guy who has been writing his story at Real Madrid for many years. He has given us two Champions League titles and many magical nights. He needs the Bernabeu to bring out his best. He has a huge heart, he’s very emotional, and his football reflects that. He loves this badge and the fans; he wants them on his side. As a coach, I would love to see a Bernabeu that stands behind its players.”
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match against AS Monaco that will take place on Tuesday:
Viewing information
- Date: Tuesday, Jan. 20
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu – Madrid
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Real Madrid -338; Draw +500; AS Monaco +756
Possible lineups
Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois; Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham; Franco Mastantuono, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior.
AS Monaco XI: Philipp Koehn; Vanderson, Thilo Kehrer, Eric Dier, Caio Henrique; Maghnes Akliouche, Jordan Teze, Denis Zakaria; Aleksandr Golovin; Mika Biereth, Folarin Balogun.
Prediction
Real Madrid will be back at the Santiago Bernabeu following their recent challenges, and it will also be the Champions League debut for new coach Alvaro Arbeloa. There is little room for mistakes.
Pick: Real Madrid 2, AS Monaco 1.
