The Champions League season kicks off this coming Tuesday and the nine-time European winners, Real Madrid, travel to Switzerland to play FC Zurich.

Real Madrid's players celebrate against Deportivo La Coruna.Real Madrid poised to clinch victory

A trip to Switzerland doesn’t automatically suggest a good start for Los Blancos in the upcoming European campaign.

Such away encounters could prove to be very tricky and Manuel Pellegrini will certainly be alerted by the obstacles that Zurich could pose on Tuesday.

The Argentine manager will certainly line up all a strong squad for the encounter, which means that Real Madrid’s big summer signings might all feature as starters if they are made available (in terms of fitness).

 

The eyes of the public will be on Brazil’s superstar Kaka, and on Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo to perform. The duo is expected to dazzle in Switzerland as they will be playing their first ever European match under a Madrid jersey.

For Real Madrid, the focus will not only be on getting the three points. It will also be on taking advantage of FC Zurich as much as possible and score a good number of goals to put the pressure on AC Milan who will be playing Marseille in France the same day.

Like two years ago in Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo could be playing a free role so as to give more options to Real Madrid. In addition to that, veteran skipper Raul and Benzema could be partnering upfront with the mission of breaking FC Zurich’s defense.

Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini will try to transform Real Madrid’s weaknesses at the back into an unbreakable wall.

Keeping a clean sheet throughout the group stages of the Champions League could also be the key to strength in depth. Therefore, Los Blancos will need to back up when it comes to defending set-pieces.

On paper, Real Madrid should be able to edge past FC Zurich no matter the situation. However, as games are not won on paper only, the Swiss will go out strongly with the aim of troubling the Spanish Giants.

A draw will be a very good result for FC Zurich who are back in Europe after spending the last two years in the UEFA Cup, now called the Europa League.

But the Swiss also know that their fate on Tuesday will not only depend on faith but also on ability. And as at now, FC Zurich have shown inconsistency mixed with brilliance in their respective league.

It tells how much they’ll need to be cautious against a new-look Madrid side that is dreaming of brushing away the many disappointments that they suffered in Europe these recent years.