Jose Mourinho’s men eye top spot in Champions League Group D
November 21st, 2011 - 9:12 pm ICT by IANSMadrid, Nov 21 (IANS) Real Madrid will be looking for a victory to assure their qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League as group leaders when they face Dinamo Zagreb Tuesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Jose Mourinho’s side take on the Croatian Champions, knowing their 2-0 win in Lyon three weeks ago has already booked them a place in the knockout stages. However, they also know that it is better to finish at the top of group in order to play the return leg of the next round at home and also in order to avoid the more difficult sides in the draw, Xinhua reported.
Madrid won 1-0 in Zagreb earlier in the season in a physical match against a rival that was clearly motivated in front of their home fans. Since then, however, Dinamo have suffered in the competition and have little chance of even qualifying for the Europa League.
With Argentine star, Angel di Maria still out with a hamstring injury and Kaka recovering from a muscle problem, Mourinho will have to ring in the changes to his side. Javier Callejon could get a chance on the wing, while Alvaro Arbeloa, who has performed well at right back, could be rested after leaving the pitch with a slight injury in Madrid’s important win against Valencia in the Spanish league.
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Tags: arbeloa, champions league group, group leaders, home fans, jose mourinho, kaka, knockout stages, little chance, lyon, match, muscle problem, pitch, real madrid, return leg, santiago bernabeu, spanish league, star angel, tuesday night, victory, xinhua