Real Madrid – Juventus: The Old Lady Faces Challenges

In this meeting, the two teams are in contrasting forms, and the home side is expected to have a relatively straightforward match.

The clash between Real Madrid and Juventus in the 2025 - 2026 Champions League group stage promises to be an exciting battle between two of Europe’s most storied football clubs.

Under the guidance of coach Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid is showing excellent form. The Whites head into the match against Juventus

with a perfect record after two games in the Champions League, scoring 7 goals and conceding just once.

In La Liga, the Spanish giants also top the table following a 1-0 win over Getafe last weekend. This result puts Real two points ahead of Barcelona just before the first El Clasico of the season.

This match will be played at Real’s home ground, Santiago Bernabeu, considered an impregnable fortress for Real Madrid this season. At Bernabeu, Los Blancos have won 12 of their last 13 Champions League group stage matches.

Mbappe, as usual, is the most anticipated player for Real. This season has been very smooth for the French striker, who has scored 15 goals in 11 games across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Juventus is going through a tough period. Coach Igor Tudor’s squad has gone six matches without a win across all competitions (5 draws, 1 loss). Heading into this away trip to Spain, the Old Lady recently lost 0-2 to Como in Serie A.

In the Champions League, although unbeaten, Juventus has managed only two draws against Dortmund (4-4) and Villarreal (2-2). The defeat to Como in Serie A marked their sixth consecutive game without a victory, including five draws. However, with their reputation as the “draw kings,” Bianconeri might still pose a challenge to the hosts.

Juventus is losing defensive solidity, having conceded 6 goals in just 2 matches. This defensive weakness is a major concern for the Bianconeri as they face Real’s potent attacking line.

For this match, Real will be missing some key defenders. Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, and Dean Huijsen are all unavailable. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy have returned to training. Additionally, the fitness of Austrian center-back David Alaba remains uncertain after he left the pitch during the win over Getafe due to a calf injury.

As for Juventus, coach Igor Tudor still seems to be searching for a true leader upfront. Turin’s side will continue without Gleison Bremer and left-back Juan Cabal.

The match between Real Madrid and Juventus will kick off at 2 AM on October 23rd. With superior attacking power and home advantage, Real Madrid is predicted to dominate completely and secure a convincing victory. It will be difficult for Juventus to stop a high-flying Real Madrid.

Expected lineups:

Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Militao, Asensio, Carreras; Tchouameni, Camavinga, Mastantuono, Guler, Vinicius, Mbappe.

Juventus: Di Gregorio, Gatti, Rugani, Kelly, Kalulu, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso, Conceicao, Yildiz, David.