# Real Madrid vs. Roma: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

On Tuesday, Real Madrid and AS Roma meet at the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie. For Madrid, the continental competition now stands as their only salvation, with regular domestic slip-ups and a rampant Barcelona having squashed their title hopes in La Liga; for Roma, the situation is similar, the Giallorossi are eight points behind a Juventus outfit that has won 17 of its last 18 in Serie A.

Both teams are also out of their domestic cups.

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Europe it is, then.

Thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico last month, Real Madrid carry a hefty advantage into this second meeting, but three weeks have passed since then, and a lot has happened in that time; the form lines look very different.

Since returning from the Italian capital, Zinedine Zidane's men have been ambushed by Malaga, suffocated by Atletico Madrid and made to scrap by lowly Levante. Only in Saturday's rampant second half against Celta Vigo—one that featured a Cristiano Ronaldo explosion—have Madrid looked fluent and imposing in the way Roma have recently.

Indeed, in a strong response to their first-leg defeat against the Spanish giants, Luciano Spalletti's side has crushed Palermo, Empoli and Fiorentina by an aggregate score of 12-2, with the latest in that run a 4-1 triumph over a top-three rival. Roma are now Italy's top scorers and most vibrant team, with renowned innovator Spalletti having transformed an outfit that had grown ponderous in Rudi Garcia's final months in charge. 

*****As made evident when these teams met in Rome, the Giallorossi's threat is their pace, mobility and unpredictability. On the right, Mohamed Salah is a bundle of energy; on the left, Stephan El Shaarawy is recapturing his spark; through the middle, Diego Perotti operates as a floating forward in the sort of role made famous by Francesco Totti during Spalletti's first spell at the club.

"Their attackers are very good," conceded Zidane on Monday. "We have to concentrate on tomorrow's game because a lot of people think it will be easy; it will be difficult."

On the back of Ronaldo's breathtaking four-goal haul against Celta, Madrid will feel confident they have the resources to secure progression into the competition's quarter-finals, but there is encouragement for Roma too.

Tuesday's meeting is essentially a free-hit for the Italians; little is expected of them, and their season won't be defined by this encounter. Madrid's will be, though.

For Zidane and Co., the stakes are extremely high. Win, and the "Undecima" dream stays alive; botch it, and it will be open warfare in the Spanish capital for months. There will also be few who need reminding that at this stage of last season's Champions League, Madrid returned home with a two-goal advantage from Schalke and followed it up with a performance so dire in a 4-3 second-leg defeat that Roy Keane labelled them a "pub team," and former manager Carlo Ancelotti was forced to apologise.

Madrid can't afford a repeat of that. Roma are trying to avoid a repeat of three weeks ago.

This is it.

Match Details

Date: Tuesday, March 8

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET/8:45 p.m. local

Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

TV Info: BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport Online Player (UK), Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.)

Form Lines

 Last 6 Results in All Competitions (most recent first) Real Madrid     Roma

W: 7-1 vs. Celta Vigo     W: 4-1 vs. Fiorentina

W: 3-1 vs. Levante     W: 3-1 vs. Empoli

L: 0-1 vs. Atletico Madrid     W: 5-0 vs. Palermo

D: 1-1 vs. Malaga     L: 0-2. Real Madrid

W: 2-0 vs. Roma     W: 3-1 vs. Carpi

W: 4-2 vs. Athletic Bilbao     W: 2-1 vs. Sampdoria

Team News

For Real Madrid, left-back Marcelo is likely to come back into the starting lineup on Tuesday after returning from injury against Celta Vigo as a second-half substitute. He should join Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane in Zidane's back four, with the latter necessary given the pace and mobility of Roma's attack.

In midfield, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are in line to return after sitting out the clash with Celta with an ankle knock and the flu, respectively. If they do, the pair could join Casemiro in the central trio, given the Brazilian's strong display at the weekend.

Up front, meanwhile, Gareth Bale is set to make his first start since mid-January after returning successfully in the second half against Celta and should form a fluid front three with Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez.

For Roma, centre-back Antonio Rudiger won't travel to the Spanish capital due to a thigh injury, while the versatile Daniele De Rossi will also be missing. Consequently, the rarely used Ervin Zukanovic will come in to join Kostas Manolas in the heart of the defence.

In midfield, playmaker Miralem Pjanic and hard man Radja Nainggolan could form the double pivot in Spalletti's 4-2-3-1, while La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) believes the Roma boss will use pacey forwards Stephan El Shaarawy, Diego Perotti and Mohamed Salah in an attacking three-man line behind centre-forward Edin Dzeko.

Predicted Lineups

Credit: B/R UK

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Odds (via Odds Shark)

Real Madrid: 2-5

Draw: 17-4

Roma: 15-2