Real Madrid vs Juventus

European royalty collides once again as Real Madrid welcome Juventus to the Santiago Bernabéu on Matchday 3—a fixture that rekindles memories of two UEFA Champions League finals between these historic clubs. Madrid emerged victorious in both, winning 1–0 in 1998 and 4–1 in 2017, each marking pivotal moments in their continental legacy. Now, with both sides chasing momentum in the league phase, another chapter awaits. This will be the 22nd meeting between the clubs in UEFA competition, with Madrid narrowly leading the head-to-head record (W10 D2 L9). The Spaniards have won only three of their last ten fixtures against Juventus, losing five, proving that the Italian side have often matched them blow for blow on the European stage. However, Madrid’s form against Italian teams has been formidable in recent years. The 14-time European champions have won 18 of their last 20 matches versus Serie A opposition (L2), their only defeat in the last 13 coming against AC Milan last season (1–3). They rebounded strongly, however, with a 3–2 victory at Atalanta on Matchday 6. Los Blancos remain ruthlessly efficient at home—they have won 12 of their last 13 league phase/group-stage matches at the Bernabéu and none of their last 61 such fixtures have ended goalless, a streak stretching back to 2015. Los Blancos are 2nd on the table with just as many points as table-topping Bayern (6 points), going into Wednesday’s fixture. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Mbappe in attack is expected against the Old Lady. Dani Carvajal is suspended for this fixture following a red card on UCL MD 2.

Juventus, meanwhile, will be looking to forget the weekend’s 2-0 loss to Como, a defeat that left Igor Tudor under scrutiny, having steered his side to a five-game winless run across all competitions [DDDDL]. Meanwhile, Juve are competing in the Champions League for a 25th time, an Italian record. Despite their rich pedigree, their European results in recent years have been uneven. The Bianconeri have won only five of their last 20 matches in the competition (D6 L9) and have drawn five of their last seven league phase/group-stage fixtures. However, they’ve proven difficult to beat away from home, losing just two of their last ten away European games (W3 D5). Their draw at Villarreal on Matchday 2 showed renewed resilience, extending a streak of five clean sheets in eight matches against Spanish opposition. A 3—4—3 formation with Yildiz, Jonathan David and Francisco Conceição in attack is expected against Real Madrid.