Real Madrid will aim to maintain their perfect start to the Champions League league phase when they visit AEK Athens on Wednesday evening. The Merengues are fourth in the overall table with nine points from three matches, while AEK Athens sit 29th on three points.
AEK Athens began with a 1-0 victory over LASK Linz, but have since suffered defeats by Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City. They lost 3-1 to Shakhtar on 14 October before a 5-1 defeat by Manchester City on 20 October.
Marko Nikolic’s side have also lost four of their past five matches in all competitions, including their last two league games against PAOK and Panathinaikos.
The Greek club have faced Real Madrid four times and have lost only once. Their first meetings came in the 1985 UEFA Cup, when AEK Athens won the first-leg tie 1-0 before Real Madrid responded with a 5-0 victory in the return match.
The clubs then drew both group-stage fixtures in the 2002-03 Champions League, including a 3-3 draw in Athens. AEK therefore remain unbeaten at home against Real Madrid.
Real Madrid have won only one of their last eight European away matches against Greek clubs, drawing five of those games. They arrive in stronger form, however, having won six successive matches in all competitions.
Jose Mourinho’s team recovered from their 2-1 defeat by Atletico de Madrid in the Madrid derby before the latest international break. They followed that setback with a 3-0 La Liga victory over Racing Santander and a 4-1 Champions League win against RB Leipzig.
Their remaining league-phase fixtures are against PSV Eindhoven, Arsenal, LASK Linz and Shakhtar Donetsk.
AEK Athens’ Champions League form is NVVDD, with their overall record standing at VDDVDD. Real Madrid’s corresponding records are VVV and VVVVVV.
Thomas Strakosha will miss the match with a hand injury, while Joao Mario and Lazaros Rota are doubts because of illness. Former Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic is expected to lead the home attack and has scored seven goals in 15 appearances this season. Barnabas Varga, AEK’s leading scorer with nine goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, is also expected to start.
Vinicius Junior is available for Real Madrid and, with the Brazilian suspended domestically, is expected to start on the left. Federico Valverde has returned to training after a hamstring problem and could be included in the squad. Rodrygo and Raul Asencio are ruled out with knee and leg injuries respectively.
Yan Diomande could start on the right, with Arda Guler moving into midfield. Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe are expected to operate in the attacking third.
Predicted line-ups
AEK Athens: Brignoli; Rota, Moukoudi, Relvas, Pilo; Majer, Arriaga, Marin, Mario; Jovic, Varga.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Guler; Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe.
Predictions
– Real Madrid to win and fewer than 4.5 goals: 1.77
– Real Madrid to score a penalty: 4.10
– Yan Diomande to be decisive: 1.75
Real Madrid’s current form suggests they should take all three points against an AEK Athens side struggling for consistency.
