When they play Napoli at the Santiago Bernabeu tomorrow night, Real Madrid will want to secure first place in Group C of the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League.

Los Blancos has already made it to the next round of the tournament because they have won all four of their games so far and are five points ahead of Napoli in second place.

No matter what happens in their last game next month against Union Berlin, Carlo Ancelotti and his team will be through as the group winners if they win or draw tomorrow.

But Real Madrid’s list of injured players keeps growing. Luka Modric has joined Vinicius Jr., Eduardo Camavinga, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Eder Militao, and Thibaut Courtois as players who have been hurt.

Ancelotti has had to call up young players from the school, including Nico Paz, Mario Martin, Gonzalo Garcia, and Theo Zidane, who is the son of club president Zinedine Zidane.

The team that played against Cadiz last time will be changed in some ways. This is how Real Madrid might line up against Napoli under Walter Mazzarri.

Starting Points

We still don’t know if Kepa Arrizabalaga is ready, so Andriy Lunin will start in goal for Real Madrid again. He will be eager to keep up his good form.

Lucas Vazquez should not play right back, but Dani Carvajal should. Vazquez will get a chance in the next games because Ancelotti is likely to switch things up. Also, Ferland Mendy is likely to keep his spot at left-back instead of Fran Garcia.

After coming off the bench against Cadiz, David Alaba should be picked to start again. He will play with Antonio Rudiger and try to keep Victor Osimhen quiet if Osimhen is healthy enough to play.

Due to a lack of players in the middle of the field, Ancelotti has to keep Toni Kroos at the base of the four-man diamond formation. Jude Bellingham, the star player who caused Napoli a lot of trouble in the first game, starts at the very end.

As a defender, Dani Ceballos is set to make his first start of the season as he takes over for the injured Modric. Federico Valverde will be Real Madrid’s fourth defender when they play Partenopei.

There is no one else who can beat Rodrygo Goes up top. He has been in great shape lately. As long as Vinicius Jr. is out, the Brazilian is likely to be paired with Joselu again.

Lunin, Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy, Kroos, Valverde, Ceballos, Bellingham, Joselu, and Rodrygo are the players that Real Madrid thinks will start.

Different kinds of

Brahim Diaz is healthy again after missing the game against Cadiz because he was sick. He will likely play some minutes off the bench while Ancelotti gives Rodrygo or Bellingham a break.

Gonzalo Garcia made his debut with the first team for Real Madrid last weekend. He could play in the Champions League for the first time as a late substitute against Napoli. Nico Paz and Mario Martin, two other stars from the school, could also get some midfield time.