Previews
TUE 16.02.2016
Zinedine Zidane leads Real Madrid into his first Champions League match as coach on Wednesday (20:45 CET) when Los Blancos travel to play AS Roma at the start of the competition's knockout phase.
The 10-time European champions qualified top of qualification Group A in December, ahead of Paris St Germain, after winning five and drawing one of their six games. Cristiano Ronaldo has netted 11 of their 19 goals so far, and is the competition’s leading scorer to date.
"The Champions League is special for the club, for me and above all for the players. We all know the history this club has with this competition," said Zidane, who scored the winning goal for Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final.
Madrid arrive at the game boosted by a 4-2 win at home to Athletic Club on Saturday that left them third in the Liga BBVA.
Zidane has guided the team to five wins and a draw since taking the helm at the beginning of January, but the team have struggled on their two away trips under the Frenchman drawing 1-1 at Real Betis and scraping past Granada 2-1.
Madrid travelled without the injured Gareth Bale and Pepe for their fixture against the Italians, who lie fourth in Serie A after a 3-1 win away at Carpi last Friday. Under their new coach Luciano Spalletti, Roma have drawn one, lost one and then won four on the trot.
"I don't think there's a favourite. I think we've got a 50% chance of going through," Spalletti said.
© LALIGA - 2016
