Real Madrid continue the defence of their Champions League crown away at Lille on Matchday 2 of the league phase on Wednesday night.
Very little has come easy for Carlo Ancelotti’s side at the start of the 2024/25 season, but they came ever so close to securing a huge victory in a fierce Madrid derby on Sunday before Angel Correa equalised for Atletico in stoppage time.
Still, Madrid gained a point on La Liga leaders Barcelona after they were thrashed by Osasuna on Saturday.
Lille did claim a domestic victory at the weekend as Jonathan David continued his fine record against Le Havre in a 3-0 win. Bruno Genesio’s side have had a mixed start to the new season, and they were beaten 2-0 away at Sporting CP in their league phase opener having been reduced to ten men in the first half.
The holders, meanwhile, eventually got the job done and beat Stuttgart 3-1 to open their account, although the German side must’ve left the Santiago Bernabeu wondering how they failed to win in the Spanish capital given the abundance of chances they created on the night.
Here is 90min’s guide to Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League clash against Lille.
Lille vs Real Madrid H2H Record
This is the first competitive fixture between Lille and Real Madrid.
Current form (all competitions)
How to watch Lille vs Real Madrid on TV and live stream
Lille team news
Angel Gomes received two yellow cards on Matchday 1 and is suspended for Wednesday’s game, so we could see former Everton midfielder Andre Gomes get the nod in the middle of the park for the home side.
A foot injury continues to plague Icelandic starlet Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, with Lille also set to be without Nabil Bentaleb, Ismaily, Samuel Umtiti and Ngal Ayel Mukau against the holders.
Lille predicted lineup vs Real Madrid
Lille predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-3-3): Chevalier; Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Andre, Andre Gomes, Cabella; Zhegrova, David, Sahraoui.
Real Madrid team news
Kylian Mbappe was believed to be out until after the international break with a muscle injury, but the Frenchman has recovered quicker than expected and could be involved on Wednesday night. He has travelled with the rest of the Madrid squad.
Fran Garcia was the subject of a nasty challenge from Marcos Llorente in Sunday’s derby and is doubtful for this one, while Thibaut Courtois sustained an abductor injury against Atletico and will be out for a couple of weeks.
Andriy Lunin filled in for the Belgian last season and he’ll be called upon again by Ancelotti.
Brahim Diaz, Dani Ceballos and David Alaba are also absent for the away side, but Eduardo Camavinga could return to the starting XI having made his comeback from injury at the weekend.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Atletico Madrid (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Lille vs Real Madrid score prediction
It’s going to take Ancelotti a little while to stumble upon his optimal formula with this set of players, but it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Madrid are going to be favourities in pretty much every game they play this season given the abundance of talent at the Italian’s disposal.
The stern defence that laid the foundations for their success last season is yet to surface, and Madrid are not yet a cohesive unit going forward. Their inability to control games gives opponents chances to build momentum, and Lille could have some success on Wednesday, especially given how well David and Edon Zhegrova have performed as of late.
Ultimately, though, Madrid always seem to find a way. This is by no means a great Lille side, and the visitors should get the job done away from home.
