Soccer Extreme : Real Madrid's hopes of winning the Champions League this season will face an early test when Jose Mourinho's side takes on AC Milan in Group G. The teams, who have won 16 European Cups between them, have already pulled clear at the top of a group that also includes four-time winner Ajax.Madrid couldn't go into the game at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in better shape. The team is undefeated and finished the weekend provisionally top of the Spanish league — prior to Villarreal's match against Hercules on Monday night — thanks in large part to Cristiano Ronaldo's league-leading six goals.
FORM GUIDE
Nine-times champions Real are one of six teams seeking to maintain their perfect record in this season's competition. Real beat Ajax Amsterdam and Auxerre in their opening two games. Ronaldo not only scored twice in Saturday's convincing 4-1 win at Malaga, but he also set up both of striker Gonzalo Higuain's goals and leads the league in assists with four. Milan, the seven-times winners, were held to a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam at the end of September.
TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid
Pellegrini has picked a 20-man squad for the trip, with Guti and Christoph Metzelder left out of the squad after the debacle against Alcorcon. Cristiano Ronaldo and Ezequiel Garay are still out due to injury, but Royston Drenthe returns to the squad after being overlooked against Getafe.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-2-2): Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Albiol, Marcelo; Xabi Alonso, Diarra; Kaka, Granero; Higuain, Raul.
AC Milan
Nesta should return from injury for the clash, as Leonardo decided not to risk him at the weekend. Gianluca Zambrotta was to be rested at the weekend but made a substitute appearance against Parma when Luca Antonini went down injured, while the likes of Storari, Marek Jankulovski and Oguchi Onyewu are all still out.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Dida; Oddo, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Zambrotta; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf; Pato, Borriello, Ronaldinho.
PREDICTION
While Real Madrid have kept two clean sheets in their last two Primera Division matches, the opposition were far from being top quality. Milan, on the other hand, are in excellent form and, backed by their home fans, will be confident of beating los Merengues for the second time in a fortnight. Milan 2-1 Real Madrid
SCHEDULE
Tuesday October 19
Champions League Group F
Real Madrid v AC Milan
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Kick off: 19.45 BST
source : telegraph, goal