The top two teams in Group G will meet in the Champions League on Tuesday night as the reigning champions Real Madrid travel to Roma.
Both Roma and Madrid have collected nine points from their four group fixtures this season, and a win for either would see them advance to the last-16 stage of the competition with one match to spare.
Roma
© ReutersIt has not quite been the start to the 2018-19 Serie A campaign that Roma would have had in mind, but the Italian giants are in a strong position when it comes to making the next round of the Champions League.
A record of five wins, four draws and four defeats has left Roma in seventh spot in Italy's top flight, and they are already nine points off third position, with their latest loss occurring away to Udinese at the weekend.
The Italian outfit have a five-point cushion over third-placed CSKA Moscow in Group G, however, and will qualify for the round of 16 with a point, providing that CSKA do not overcome Viktoria Plzen in the night's other match.
I Giallorossi have also actually won seven of their last 11 games in all competitions, suffering just two defeats, with the loss at Udinese ending a five-match unbeaten run.
Roma have won their last three group matches, meanwhile, thumping Plzen 5-0 on home soil before overcoming CSKA home and away. It is the first time that they have won three straight European matches for nine years, and Eusebio Di Francesco's side will be eyeing another positive result against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Roma, of course, reached the semi-finals of last season's Champions League before losing to Liverpool, and they famously beat Barcelona to make the final four. It is hard to imagine that they will repeat that run this term, but anything can happen in the knockout round of the competition.
In terms of home form, the Italian outfit have won eight of their last 15 Champions League games in front of their own supporters, although they have only been victorious in two of their last 11 matches against Spanish opposition. Roma have also only won three of their previous 11 meetings with Real Madrid, scoring just nine times in the process and conceding 22.
Recent form: LWLWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WDDWWL
Real Madrid
© ReutersReal Madrid will be looking to bounce back from Saturday's shock 3-0 defeat at Eibar in La Liga when they travel to Roma this week. Los Blancos had won all four of their matches under the leadership of Santiago Solari ahead of the international break, but were well beaten at Eibar on Saturday afternoon.
The capital giants are somehow just five points off the top of La Liga, however, and know that a victory against Roma would see them qualify for the round of 16 as group winners. That said, Madrid will also qualify with a defeat if CSKA fail to beat Plzen in Group G's other match.
The European champions opened their 2018-19 Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Roma on matchday one, but then suffered a 1-0 defeat at CSKA during a very difficult period. The Madrid giants have won their last two in the competition though, beating Plzen both home and away.
Real Madrid top Group G on goal difference, and will fancy their chances of progressing to the next round even if they lose in Rome. The Spanish outfit have won the Champions League in each of the last three seasons, and have reached at least the semi-finals in each of the last eight campaigns.
Victory away to Plzen last time out means that Los Blancos have won 12 of their last 20 European away matches, losing just four times. They have also been victorious in each of their last three European games in Italy, having lost four of their previous eight.
Madrid incredibly lost five times between September 26 and October 28, but have triumphed in four of their last five in all competitions, and will be keen to bounce back from what was a very poor showing against Eibar.
It seems unlikely that the team will be able to challenge for a fourth straight Champions League crown, but even without Cristiano Ronaldo, not too many sides will relish coming up against Madrid due to their incredible history in the competition.
Recent form: DWWLWW
Recent form (all competitions): LWWWWL
Team News
© ReutersRoma are once again expected to be without the services of Kostas Manolas, who missed the defeat to Udinese at the weekend with an ankle injury that he picked up while in action for Greece during the international break.
Daniele De Rossi has not played since the end of October due to a knee problem, meanwhile, and is expected to miss out once again.
Javier Pastore and Diego Perotti are also both on the sidelines, but Lorenzo Pellegrini and Aleksandar Kolarov are fit, with the pair overcoming slight injuries to play against Udinese.
Edin Dzeko and Cengiz Under will both come into the Roma XI, meanwhile, having only been named on the bench in their league match at the weekend.
As for the visitors, Madrid boss Solari might be keen to ring the changes following the disappointing defeat at Eibar, but the capital giants do not have that many first-team options.
Indeed, Nacho and Casemiro remain on the sidelines, while Alvaro Odriozola was forced off against Eibar, and is expected to be unavailable.
Dani Carvajal replaced Odriozola on Saturday and should be ready to return to the XI though as part of Madrid's first-choice defensive unit.
Dani Ceballos was particularly disappointing against Eibar, and his midfield spot could be taken by Isco, with Lucas Vazquez also potentially coming into the XI at the expense of the out-of-form Marco Asensio.
Roma possible starting lineup:
Olsen; Santon, Fazio, Jesus, Kolarov; N'Zonzi, Cristante; Florenzi, Pellegrini, Under; Dzeko
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Isco, Kroos, Modric; Lucas, Benzema, Bale
Head To Head
Tuesday will be the 12th meeting between Roma and Real Madrid in European competition. Los Blancos lead the head-to-head seven wins to three, with just one of their 11 meetings finishing all square.
As mentioned, Madrid recorded a 3-0 win in the reverse match earlier this season, with Isco, Gareth Bale and Mariano Diaz on the scoresheet.
Real were also victorious – 2-0 – when they last travelled to Roma in the last-16 stage of the 2015-16 competition. Roma's last win over the Spanish giants did come in Italy, however, with that 2-1 success occurring in 2008.
Madrid's best result away to Roma, meanwhile, took place in December 2004, when they recorded a 3-0 success in the group stages.
We say: Roma 2-2 Real Madrid
This is a very, very tough one to call. Both teams will enter the match off the back of disappointing results at the weekend, and we are finding it hard to separate them. Entertaining score draw in Rome.
