Madrid v Sporting: line-ups, where to watch, form guide
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Article summary
Holders Real Madrid start their title defence against Sporting CP, Cristiano Ronaldo's boyhood club. UEFA.com has possible line-ups, analysis, quotes, stats and form guides.
Article top media content
Article body
- Madrid coach Zinédine Zidane expects Sporting to come at his team
- Cristiano Ronaldo set to face his boyhood club
- Both sides have won four from four so far this season
- Sporting coach Jorge Jesus says this is the strongest Madrid team in years
- Don't forget to pick your Fantasy Football team before the deadline
Possible line-ups
Real Madrid: Casilla; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modrić; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Out: Navas (heel), Coentrão (thigh)
Sporting: Patrício; João Pereira, Coates, Semedo, Zeegelaar; William Carvalho, Adrien, Ruiz; Campbell, Gelson, Dost.
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
Zinédine Zidane, Madrid coach
The competition is just starting and a lot of teams want to win it. We are one of the favourites, but that means nothing – you have to work hard and play well to achieve anything in this competition.
We're ready. [Sporting] play good football and they will come at us. It's an important game for Cristiano Ronaldo – it's his boyhood club so it's something special for him.
Jorge Jesus, Sporting coach
We'll try to treat Madrid as equals. This is an important match for us as it's the first group game. During the week we've been working on having greater control and that's how you need to play against Real Madrid. They need no invitations.
We'll have to be attentive to what Ronaldo does, but we won't have any specific strategy to stop him. This is the strongest Real Madrid team in years. They have great players, a great coach. They're much stronger than before Zidane arrived.
Weekend results
Real Madrid 5-2 Osasuna (Ronaldo 6, Danilo 40, Ramos 45+1, Pepe 56, Modrić 62; Oriol Riera 64, David García 78)
Ronaldo needed just six minutes of his first appearance since his UEFA EURO 2016 final injury to set Madrid on their way to a third straight win of the Liga season against an Osasuna side that finished with ten men. Kiko Casilla saved a Roberto Torres penalty, while Sergio Ramos has now scored in 13 successive Liga campaigns.
Sporting 3-0 Moreirense (Gelson Martins 27, Campbell 52, Dost 56)
Sporting are the only team with four victories out of four in the Portuguese Liga, aided by a 34th-minute red card for Neto while the hosts were one up. Bas Dost netted on his debut and Joel Campbell also opened his Sporting account.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)*
Madrid: WWWW
Sporting: WWWW
*This season only
Reporter's view: Joe Walker (@UEFAcomJoeW)
Sporting's arrival in the Spanish capital presents Madrid with a tough opening to their European title defence. Zidane's men have made a perfect start to their Liga campaign, yet so have their visitors. The added prospect of Ronaldo taking on his boyhood club only adds to the narrative. Expect goals.
Did you know?
Why should Portuguese teams be nervous about playing Real Madrid in the Spanish capital? Read more in our extensive match background.