Real Madrid aim to make it two wins out of two in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday when they travel to France to play Lille. The reigning European champions are unbeaten to start the season and currently sit second in La Liga. They also won their first game of the new-look Champions League, picking up a 3-1 win over Stuttgart two weeks ago. They are the favorites to win back-to-back games in Europe against Lille, who are off to a middling start this season. They have three wins out of six in Ligue 1 and rank fifth and also lost 2-0 to Sporting Lisbon in their opening Champions League fixture.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, October 2 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Stade Pierre-Mauroy — Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: Lille +480; Draw +330; Real Madrid -180
Storylines
Real Madrid have been far from perfect this season, but much as it was last season, it might not actually matter. The feeling of inevitability that dominated their triumphs in La Liga and the Champions League last season has carried over into this campaign for the most part. Clean sheets are still somewhat elusive for Real Madrid – they have conceded goals in each of their last five games – but their ability to score, even while playing particularly well, continues to be their defining feature.
It helps to hoard a sizable amount of the world’s top attacking talent, of course. Vinicius Junior has three goals and five assists so far this season, while Rodrygo has three goals and two assists. That’s without mentioning Kylian Mbappe, who has settled into life in Madrid nicely with seven goals and one assist in his first season with the club. He may have missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid but is in the squad to face Lille this week, though the size of his role is unknown at this time.
Prediction
With or without Mbappe, Real Madrid have all the tools they need to pick up their second consecutive win in Champions League play. Expect Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo to play a big role, as well as last season’s breakout star Jude Bellingham, to provide a few moments of brilliance even if Madrid cannot muster a perfect 90 minute performance. Pick: Lille 1, Real Madrid 3
KVSP