With the all-time consecutive win record on their mind, Real Madrid will try to win their next UEFA Champions League match against debutant Ludogorets and complete the only perfect first round for any team this season.
Carlo Ancelotti announced in the pre-match press conference he will rotate his team, give the heavy load of games some players have endured. Players like Keylor Navas, Asier Illarramendi, Raphael Varane and probably Javier Hernandez will have a spot in the starting XI for Los Blancos. Nevertheless, Ancelotti's rotation will not include Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be looking to match Lionel Messi's total of 74 goals in the UEFA Champions League. Other players that are most likely taking part of this match would be defender Nacho, Fabio Coentrao and possibly newcomer Alvaro Medrán, a defensive midfielder that has bedazzled the Italian manager.
With this squad, Ancelotti will try to make his version of Real Madrid the winningest in modern times, surpassing the record by any Spanish team, which is held by Barcelona with 18 consecutive wins in 2006.
For Bulgarian side Ludogorets, the simple fact of being able to play at Santiago Bernabeu stadium will be the highlight of their career. After labeling this game as "the most complicated match in the team's history", coach Georgi Dermendzhiev will not be able to start Roman Bezjak and defender Brayan Angulo, key players in their manager's tactics.
The Bulgarian champion, a squad that just four years ago was playing in the Bulgarian Second Division, still has an opportunity to keep playing European matches this year, but they have to win against Real Madrid and hope Liverpool loses to Basel, so they can grab the group's spot for the UEFA Europa League.
Real Madrid vs Ludogorets Razgrad team sheets
Real Madrid's Starting XI: Keylor Navas, Varane, Coentrao, Ronaldo, Kroos, Bale, Chicharito, Arbeloa, Nacho,Isco, Illarramendi.
Ludogorets' Starting XI: Stoyanov, Minev, Moti, Terziev, Junior, Alexandrov, Espinho, Abalo, Dyakov, Marcelinho, Misidjan.
Real Madrid's Subs: Casillas, Pepe, Benzema, Marcelo, Carvajal, Jesé, Medrán.
Ludogorets' Subs: Borjan, Aleksandrov, Abel, Zlatinski, Wanderson, Quixadá, Hamza.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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