Real Madrid | VS | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Date/Time: | Apr 5, 2011, 20:45(CET) |
| Competition: | UEFA Champions League |
| Live/Repeat: | Live |
| Venue: | Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid) |
Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur Match Preview
Real Madrid will play host to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals first leg on Tuesday.
Both teams will enter this game on the back of a disappointing domestic result at the weekend. Real Madrid suffered a 1-0 home defeat in La Liga at the hands of Sporting Gijon, a result that was manager Jose Mourinho’s first home defeat in league play since 2002.
Tottenham were held to a 0-0 draw at struggling Wigan Athletic, a result that means they are five points behind the top four and struggling to guarantee participation in this tournament next year.
Star winger Cristiano Ronaldo is ruled out with a hamstring injury for Madrid, while Karim Benzema and Marcelo are ruled out due to injuries picked up while on international duty last week.
Defender William Gallas is doubtful for Tottenham with a hamstring problem, while Steven Pienaar is ruled out due to a groin injury.
Winger Gareth Bale, who has been a revelation so far in this tournament, looks likely to recover from an injury in time to play.
KEY PLAYERS
Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid) – With Ronaldo and Benzema out injured the German playmaker will be responsible for driving the Real attack and creating a lead to take to White Hart Lane in the second leg.
Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur) – The Brazilian workhorse is an unsung hero in the Tottenham engine room. He covered vast amounts of ground in the second leg against AC Milan to defend a 1-0 lead. With Madrid likely to spend large amounts of time in possession, Sandro will be a key figure in shielding the Tottenham back line.
