Real Madrid v Viktoria Plzen

Published on: 22 October 2018

Gareth Bale (centre) missed Real Madrid's last Champions League match against CSKA MoscowBBC coverage

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TEAM NEWS

Defender Dani Carvajal remains the only absentee as struggling Real Madrid aim for their first win in six games when they take on Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Welshman Gareth Bale and France striker Karim Benzema, substitutes during the defeat by Levante at the weekend, took part in training on Monday.

"We will go about the game with total commitment and drive," said under-pressure coach Julen Lopetegui.

"I'm not thinking about anything else."

    Lopetegui vows to 'fight' on before Sunday's El Clasico

Real are third in Group G, behind second-placed Roma, who also have three points from two games, and leaders CSKA Moscow, who have four points. Czech side Viktoria Plzen are bottom with one point.

Plzen's midfielder Patrik Hrosovsky said: "We certainly have respect for each rival, and of Real Madrid for that quality, of course.

"Now they are not doing so much, but last season they were at a similar level and eventually won the Champions League.

"The quality is huge here."

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    This will be the first ever competitive meeting between Real Madrid and Viktoria Plzen.

Real Madrid

    This will be Real Madrid's first meeting with a Czech opponent since facing Sparta Prague in the second group stage of the 2001-02 Champions League. The Spanish side won 3-2 away and 3-0 at home en route to winning the trophy for the ninth time. Real Madrid lost against CSKA Moscow last time out - they have not lost more than once in a Champions League group stage since 2008-09, when they lost twice to Juventus. Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 26 home Champions League group stage games (W23 D3), since a 3-2 loss to AC Milan in October 2009. Real Madrid have not failed to score in any of their last 43 Champions League home matches since a 2-0 loss to Barcelona in April 2011. Since then they have scored 125 goals at the Bernabeu, at an average of almost three per game. Real Madrid's Gareth Bale has scored in his last two Champions League appearances - he has never found the net in three consecutive games in the competition. Real Madrid's Marco Asensio has played 429 minutes in Champions League games he has started, scoring one goal. When coming on as a substitute in the competition, he has played 418 minutes, but scored three times.

Viktoria Plzen

    Viktoria Plzen are playing in their third Champions League campaign - they have faced the holders of the trophy in their previous two tilts at the competition, losing all four games by an aggregate score of 0-12 (v Barcelona in 2011-12 and Bayern Munich in 2013-14). Viktoria Plzen have only kept one clean sheet in their 14 Champions League matches (1-0 at Borisov in November 2011), conceding 35 goals in the process. Viktoria Plzen lost 0-5 against Roma in their last Champions League match, their joint-heaviest defeat in the competition (also 0-5 v Bayern Munich in October 2013).

Source: bbc.com

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