Although they are the current holders, it’s safe to say they haven’t made the best of starts to this season.
Los Blancos have been at odds with UEFA since they pioneered a European Super League that ultimately never took off. Clarence Seedorf claimed the dispute cost Vinicius Jr. in the race for the Ballon d’Or, a snub that rounded off a miserable week for Real. Can Ancelotti’s team respond when they take on AC Milan?
Real Madrid vs AC Milan Market | Odds |
|---|---|
Real Madrid -1 Handicap |
Ballon d’Or Snub Compounds a Miserable Few Days for Madrid
Real Madrid’s scheduled clash with Valencia at the weekend was postponed, meaning the European champions last took the field in their 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were enjoying a 42-game unbeaten run in La Liga. Despite being hammered by their great rivals, Los Blancos remain above the Blaugrana in the outright betting for the Champions League.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit 12th in the league phase ahead of matchday four. They came from two goals behind to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in their last European game, but a 1-0 loss to Lille has left them behind the pacesetters and outside the automatic spots for the last 16.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony also caused a stir as no Real Madrid representatives attended the ceremony after learning that Rodri had won over Vinicius. Former Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf claimed that Vini paid the price for Real’s dispute with UEFA, which worked with France Football to dish out the prize for the world’s best player.
The thrashing in El Classico and Vinicius Jr’s Ballon d’Or snub have created a tense atmosphere at the Bernabeu ahead of this matchup. However, Los Blancos have a tendency to respond when the chips are down, particularly in the Champions League.
AC Milan in the Firing Line
AC Milan are Real Madrid’s next opponents in the Champions League. The Rossoneri have seven titles of their own, but Ancelotti’s wounded side should prove to be too much.
Real are unbeaten in 15 Champions League matches at the Santiago Bernabeu. Over that period, they scored an average of 2.73 goals per game. They have netted eight goals across their two European matches at the Santiago Bernabeu so far this season and will be eager to flex their attacking muscle and wipe away the stain of the El Clasico defeat.
Kylian Mbappe was supposed to take Real Madrid up a level, but it hasn’t been plain sailing for the Frenchman thus far. Getting the best out of Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Bellingham has proven to be problematic for Carlo, but he has time to tackle the issue ahead of this fixture. Vinicius netted a second-half hat-trick in their last Champions League game. Mbappe also got on the scoresheet in the 3-1 win over Stuttgart in their other European game at home. The dynamic duo should have success against a struggling Milan side.
AC Milan have won just one of their five away matches across all competitions this season. They have scored 0.4 fewer goals per game than they have conceded in those outings, and there’s no tougher challenge than a trip to the Bernabeu.