Real Madrid vs Inter Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Real Madrid host Inter in the Champions League with both sides needing to get back to winning ways to avoid a surprise exit from the competition's group stages.
While Inter are no strangers to that fate, having reached the Europa League final last season after having dropped out of Europe's top-tier competition, Real Madrid just don't fall at the first hurdle in Europe - no matter how bad things get. And yet, they find themselves bottom of Group B having picked up just a point in two games.
Los Blancos are nothing if not practised escape artists - they almost pulled off an unlikely comeback from 3-0 down against Shakhtar Donetsk, while similar second-half heroics came into play as they clawed their way back into the game after conceding two against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Whether the 13-time winners will be able to withstand similar pressure from Antonio Conte and Inter Milan is a different question entirely - although things haven't exactly gone to plan for the Nerazzurri in Europe, or domestically, either.
Where to Watch
When is Kick Off? Tuesday 3 November
What Time is Kick Off? 20:00 (GMT)
Where is it Being Played? Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (Red Button)
Referee? Clement Turpin
Team News
Real Madrid have some small injury concerns to deal with - the game will come slightly too soon for Martin Odegaard and Alvaro Odriozola, who are both training again after calf injuries.
The awkward issue is that they're currently without a recognised right-back, with Dani Carvajal damaging his ankle ligaments, and with Nacho Fernandez, the man who might have filled in for him, also ruled out with a thigh complaint, don't be surprised to see a creative solution to that problem in Tuesday's match.
Undoubtedly the biggest miss for Inter will be star striker Romelu Lukaku, who picked up a muscular injury against Shakhtar, while Stefano Sensi has also been struggling with a muscle strain and will not take part.
Alexis Sanchez has been sidelined indefinitely with yet more muscular issues, and Matias Vecino has not yet played for the club this season after undergoing knee surgery.
Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Vazquez, Varane, Ramos, Mendy, Valverde, Casemiro, Modric; Asensio, Benzema, Hazard
Inter: Handanovic; D'Ambrosio, De Vrij, Bastoni; Hakimi, Barella, Brozovic, Vidal, Young; Perisic, Martinez
Recent Form
Real Madrid have had a few stutters domestically - a surprising loss to minnows Cadiz chief among them. Luckily they won the important one, making Ronald Koeman's Barcelona look like, well... a Ronald Koeman side.
In Europe, too, they've been held together by sheer grit - three down at half time against Shakhtar and two down within 58 minutes against Gladbach, they've had to do some serious face-saving in their second halves, which might explain Karim Benzema's alleged comments towards Vinicius Junior last week.
Karim Benzema tells Ferland Mendy not to pass to Vinicius Jr at half-time during last night’s game between Gladbach & Real Madrid: “Brother don’t play to him. On my mother’s life. He is playing against us.” pic.twitter.com/zmpciQRgAV
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) October 28, 2020
Inter have also had to become comeback kings in a season where, having been tipped for the Scudetto, they've had to watch their bitter rivals AC Milan embark on an unlikely title push instead.
Though they've bagged last-gasp wins over Parma and Fiorentina, as well as leaving it late to equalise against Gladbach, they find themselves five points off top spot in Italy and two points adrift of qualification in Europe.
Let's have a closer look at how the two sides have got on...
Real Madrid
Real Madrid 4-1 Huesca (31/10)
Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-2 Real Madrid (27/10)
Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid (24/10)
Real Madrid 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk (21/10)
Real Madrid 0-1 Cadiz (17/10)
Inter
Inter 2-2 Parma (31/10)
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Inter (27/10)
Genoa 0-2 Inter (24/10)
Inter 2-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach (17/10)
Inter 1-2 Milan (4/10)
Prediction
Generally, Real Madrid always bounce back, and despite the occasional wobble this season they've still been able to string together some impressive runs of form - there's no reason to belive that this couldn't also apply in Europe.
But, it could just be the case (and not for the first time), that the smallest of cracks are beginning to show in Zidane's team, and it can't be the case that these enormous first-half collapses in Europe, and repeated home defeats, are sustainable.
Equally, Inter have been far from note-perfect this season and have plenty of issues of their own. Perhaps, then, the most realistic expectation is a high-scoring win in this strangest of seasons, and one which sees Real Madrid's experience of navigating big games win out.
Prediction: Real Madrid 4-2 Inter