Real Madrid started their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk, and head into their second group stage game away at Swedish side Malmö FF on Wednesday confident of winning by an even bigger margin. Malmö are, alas, one of the weakest teams in the entire tournament, and are fully expected to be on the end of a comprehensive defeat.
Real Madrid vs Malmo, Champions League 2015: Time, TV schedule and team news
Swedish champions Malmö are unlikely to prove tough opponents for Real Madrid on Wednesday, despite home advantage.
There's not much hope for the Swedish side, though the fan sporting rose-tinted spectacles can at least point to Real Madrid's recent goalscoring struggles in the league. Rafael Benítez's side's game against Málaga on the weekend was their second scoreless draw of the season, with the Merengues yet to click into their top form under the new manager. Still, they should have more than enough to break down a Malmö team that suffered a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their group stage opener.
Upset potential: Very low
Malmö have done exceptionally well to qualify for the Champions League group stages for a couple of season in a row, but there’s very little chance of them making it through to the knockout stages. In the long term, they’ll be hoping their European success will enable them and the Swedish league to grow in stature -- much like how Basel have grown into a very competitive side over the last few seasons. However, for now, they’re still a side notable by its absence of household names, and anything other than a heavy defeat would be no mean feat.
Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Rafa Benítez may well put his stuttering start as Madrid manager down to the unfortunate raft of injuries his side has suffered, but fortunately Cristiano Ronaldo has escaped unscathed. His hat-trick in the win over Shakhtar Donetsk saw him become the first player in history to score 80 goals in the tournament (take that, Lionel!). He’s now only two goals off Raúl’s record 323 in a Real Madrid shirt, and he looks set to break the record in less than half the time. He could well do it in Sweden.
Malmö FF injuries and suspensions
Out: Zlatan Azinović (knee). In doubt: Rasmus Bengtsson, Guillermo Molins (ankle).
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Danilo (foot), James Rodríguez (knee), Gareth Bale (calf), Sergio Ramos (shoulder), Pepe (unspecified muscle). In doubt: None.
Malmö‘s only certain absentee is goalkeeper Zlatan Azinović, though he could be joined on the sidelines by midfielder Rasmus Bengtsson and attacker Guillermo Molins.
Real Madrid will still be without a host of their familiar faces; chief among them being Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale and James Rodríguez.
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Swedbank Stadion, Malmö, Sweden
TV: Fox regional networks (U.S. - English), TSN1 (Canada), BT Sport Extra (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. - English), ESPN3 (U.S. - Spanish), BT Sport Live Streaming (U.K.)
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