The elite club competition in Europe is back as top teams will battle it out in the pre-quarters of the Champions League. Real Madrid will take on Napoli in Bernabeu on Wednesday.
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This is the first time the two teams are facing off against each other since 1987. Napoli will be playing their second ever pre-quarters match in the Champions League.
Real Madrid have played some good football during the group stages, and finished second in the group including Borussia Dortmund, Sporting CP and Legia Warsaw. Real did not lose a single game.
Real will be keen to maintain their winning form against Napoli as well. With the competition moving to the knockout stages, there will be no room for errors, and Real will have to bring on their A game to beat the Italian club.
Though Real Madrid sit on the top of the La Liga table, their form may be a cause of concern as they lost to Celta Vigo and Sevilla last month. They cannot afford another slip up against Napoli at home, especially considering the recent form of the Italian club.
Napoli, after their loss in October against Juventus in the Serie A, have not tasted defeat since. With such impressive performance under their belt, Napoli will be a confident unit going into the game. However, Napoli will not find it easy against Real, who bring their best against top teams. And with the massive Bernabeu crowd rooting for Real, it's going to be a pressure cooker of a match for Napoli.
The match is expected to be a close affair with the star-studded lineup of both teams. Real will depend on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema while Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik will be crucial for the Italian side, who will miss defender Lorenzo Tonelli. Real's Gareth Bale will also miss the match.
Real Madrid vs Napoli Champions League schedule
Date: February 15
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu
Time: 8.45pm CET, 7.45pm GMT, 2.45pm ET, 1.15am (Thursday) IST.
TV guide: India: Ten 1. Spain: BeIN Sports. Italy: Premium Sport HD. UK: BT Sport 3. USA: Fox Sports 2. Middle East, Australia: Bein Sports. Canada: BeIN Sports. China: PPTV Sport China and CCTV.
