Preview: Ronaldo returns, København eye Europa League football
For the first time since inspiring Real Madrid to a 5-0 defeat away to Almeria in November, Cristiano Ronaldo will step on the pitch again. The Portuguese talisman had to be subbed off in that match due to a thigh injury. He has since been rested to recapture his fitness.
In the UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo has scored eight times. He shares this record of ‘most group stages goals’ with icons Hernan Crespo, Filippo Inzaghi and Ruud van Nistelrooy. He was joined by PSG’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Matchday 5.
With 13 points, Real Madrid have already qualified for the Round of 16 so the game against Copenhagen will merely be about maintaining their momentum and breaking new records. Speaking to the press, Carlo Ancelotti affirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to take the field by storm.
“Cristiano is fine,” said the manager. “He is training with the rest of the team and he will play on Tuesday without any problem.”
The pressure is firmly on the hosts to get a result. The Danes have no chance of making it into the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League but they could still find consolation in qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. To achieve that, København will need a positive result and coach Stale Solbakken prefers to be optimistic.
“We are still alive and we will hope that we can provide one last, brave effort to go through. I have said that I hope for one Christmas present before December 24 and that is a win or maybe a draw at the Parken.”
Copenhagen lost 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of this tie but they are on a run of three consecutive victories on the domestic front.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Copenhagen vs Real Madrid live on Tuesday, December 10, 2013:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on: Sportsnet World Online
In UK at 19:45 BST on: Sky Sports Red Button
In USA at 14:45 ET on: Fox Soccer 2Go, FOX Deportes, TV3 Catalunya
For the latest live listings as well as live scores during the game, visit the København-Real Madrid match page.
