Real Madrid have had a strong start to the Champions League campaign under manager Jose Mourinho, as the Los Blancos are still undefeated this season and sit 5th in the league table. In their opening match, they defeated Inter Milan, then went on to beat Roma in a thrilling encounter, and in the previous matchday, trashed RB Leipzig at the Bernabeu.
Meanwhile, AEK Athens are struggling to register another win following their win over LASK on matchday one. In the previous two matches, they suffered a heavy loss to Shakhtar Donetsk and a brutal hammering from Manchester City. Currently, the Greek outfit are 27th on the Champions League table.
Real Madrid have shifted into second gear following their El Clasico victory over Barcelona, as they are coming into this encounter fresh off a dominating win over Racing Santander in La Liga, while AEK Athens stumbled to a defeat against Panathinaikos in the Super League Greece.
Last 5 Games
In La Liga, Real Madrid are currently 3rd on the league table, three points behind first-place Barcelona, and only one point separates them from second-place Atletico Madrid. The Spanish giants have won all of their last five games across the Champions League and La Liga. In the last five games, they have scored 17 goals and conceded only six goals in the process. With the exclusion of Vinicius Junior during league matches, Yan Diomande has stepped up his game and contributed to the team’s attack in brilliant fashion.
AEK Athens have registered only a single victory in their last five games in all competitions. In the Champions League, they are on a two-game losing streak and conceded eight goals in the process. While in the Super League Greece and the Greece Cup, their form has not been much better, as apart from the victory over Panetolikos, they suffered heavy defeats to PAOK and Panathinaikos.
Real Madrid:
Win: 4-3 AS Roma
Win: 4-1 Villarreal
Win: 4-1 RB Leipzig
Win: 2-1 Barcelona
Win: 3-0 Racing Santander
AEK Athens
Loss: 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Loss: 5-1 Manchester City
Win: 5-0 Panetolikos
Loss: 3-1 PAOK
Loss: 2-0 Panathinaikos
Team News
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho decided to rest club captain Federico Valverde against Racing Santander in La Liga, and it seems unlikely that the Portuguese boss will risk playing him against AEK Athens.
Vinicius Junior is fit to play, and his red card ban is only applicable in La Liga, but whether he will get the nod ahead of Yan Diomande remains to be seen. Besides that, Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni will not travel with the team as they are left behind in Madrid for rest and recovery.
AEK Athens custodian Thomas Strakosha still remains a doubt due to a wrist injury, and manager Marko Nikolic will need to decide whether to risk playing him as Alberto Brignoli has not fared better between the sticks, conceding 13 times in the last five matches.
Former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic will lead the line for the Greek outfit, and the Serbian forward will be eager to make his mark in the game against his old side for whom he only scored a couple of goals in three seasons.
Possible Lineups
Real Madrid:
Thibaut Courtois, Alvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rudiger, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomande, and Kylian Mbappe.
AEK Athens:
Alberto Brignoli, Stavros Pilo, Filipe Relvas, Harold Moukoudi, Lazaros Rota, Kervin Arriaga, Lovro Majer, Razvan Marin, Petros Mantalos, Barnabas Varga, and Luka Jovic.
Head-to-Head
Real Madrid and AEK Athens have crossed paths on four occasions, and the last time both clubs locked horns against each other was back in the 2002/03 Champions League season in the group stage. Both group stage matches finished level, as the first match was a 3-3 draw in Athens and the second one was a 2-2 draw at Bernabeu.
The first meeting between Real Madrid and AEK Athens back in 1985 in the UEFA Cup, in which the first leg was a 1-0 win for the Greek side, but in the second leg, Los Blancos ran riot and secured a 5-0 victory, ending the tie on a 5-1 aggregate.
Where Will The Game Be Decided?
Real Madrid are in good form coming into this game, as Yan Diomande and Kylian Mbappe have been scoring consistently, and Jude Bellingham has become the main anchor man linking the midfield to the front line.
In defence, the Spanish side looks solid as Dean Huijsen has been at the top of his game, and the experience of Antonio Rüdiger and Denzel Dumfries will help manage opposition counterattacks. In goal, Andry Lunin could also be an option if Jose Mourinho wants to rest Thibaut Courtois, and Lunin will be boosted following his performance against Barcelona.
AEK Athens are going through a rough patch, as last season’s top scorer Luka Jovic has struggled to find the back of the net consistently, but he could be a wildcard due to his experience scoring goals against Europe’s elite.
Marko Nikolic’s side have been poor in defence, and the back four will need to put in a shift to stop the lethal Real Madrid attack. Besides that, the absence of veteran attacking midfielder Joao Mario, who is sidelined due to pneumonia, will also hurt their attack.
Prediction
Historically, Real Madrid have only registered one win in eight UEFA Champions League away games against Greek opposition, losing two and drawing five times in the process. But this time, they come in with much more confidence and a more lethal attack. Jose Mourinho will want to rotate his team to give much-needed rest to the starting members and provide more game time to the players on the bench, among whom striker Carlos Espi could make a huge impact in this game.
AEK Athens have struggled in the Champions League this season, but they have a decent record against Real Madrid and will want to put in a solid performance in front of their supporters. The home advantage could also help their players to feel extra motivated, and getting a positive result against the Los Blancos could change the trajectory of their season.
Now, Real Madrid look like an unstoppable force at the moment, and AEK Athens have been on a losing streak in multiple competitions. Los Blancos will want to secure a win, and the Greek outfit will want to avoid another heavy defeat, and in that scenario, the match could end with a narrow win for Real Madrid.
Our prediction: Real Madrid 2-0 AEK Athens.
Odds
Real Madrid win: 4/17
Draw: 7/1
AEK Athens win: 14/1
The odds indicate that Real Madrid should beat AEK Athens comfortably in Greece at the ALLWYN Arena. The Los Blancos are expected to win, as the implied probability is over 80%. In the event a £10 bet is placed on Real Madrid to win against AEK Athens, and they do secure a win, someone would get around £12.35. But if someone goes against all odds and places a £10 bet on AEK Athens to win, and if the Greek side pulls off a huge upset, the potential winning amount would be approximately £130.
Kickoff Time
Real Madrid v AEK Athens kicks off at 17:45 GMT at the ALLWYN Arena. The on-field match official will be Italian referee Maurizio Mariani, and Aleandro Di Paolo is appointed as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
