Real Madrid vs Juventus Preview, Lineups & Prediction | Champions League Matchday 3
The third matchday of the Champions League 2025/26 league stage provides an excellent matchup between Spanish giants Real Madrid and perennial Italian challengers Juventus at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
In this article, we cover the predicted lineups, latest injury news, head-to-head record, betting odds and a score prediction for Real Madrid versus Juventus on Wednesday.
Real Madrid are unbeaten and top of La Liga after winning eight times and losing once across their first nine league fixtures. Xabi Alonso's men have the second best defensive record in Spain, averaging just one goal concession per match.
Juventus are seventh in Serie A, just four points off the pace of league leaders AC Milan. Manager Igor Tudor will be looking to avoid a seventh successive fixture without a win as the boys from Turin have drawn five times and lost once since their 4-3 victory over Inter Milan on Sept. 13.
Real Madrid vs. Juventus Head-to-Head Record
Real Madrid and Juventus have met on 22 previous occasions, dating back to 1962 when Madrid outlasted Juventus 1-0 in the European Cup Quarterfinals.
Real Madrid lead the all-time series, having won 12 times (including two Champions league finals) and drawn twice. Most recently, Madrid eliminated Juventus from the 2025 Club World Cup with a 1-0 result in the Round of 16.
Fixture Trivia
Matchday 3 Trivia: Who scored the lone goal in Real Madrid's win over Juventus in the 1997/1998 Champions League final?
Matchday 2 Trivia: What player was shown a red card during the second leg of the Champions quarter-final tilt between the sides (Barcelona & Newcastle) in April 2024?
Answer: Ronald Araujo
(Answer to Matchday 3 trivia question revealed in Matchday 4's preview article)
Betting Odds and Predictions for Real Madrid vs. Juventus Match
UEFA Champions League Odds Comparisons
Moneyline Odds
DraftKings: RMA -220 Draw +380, JUV +550
FanDuel: RMA -240 Draw +380, JUV +600
BetMGM: RMA -210 Draw +375, JUV +525
Bet365: RMA -223 Draw +350, JUV +525
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RECENT FORM
Real Madrid (WWWLW) have started the season well, earning 24 points from a possible 27 across their first seven La Liga fixtures. In their initial two Champions League fixtures, Los Blancos earned victories over Marseilles and Kairat by an aggregate score of 7-1.
Juventus (LDDDD) have not tasted victory since their 4-3 win over Inter Milan in mid-September and lost their last league match 2-0 to Como. In Champions League play, Tudor has led the team to draws versus Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal.
FORMATIONS
Real Madrid are likely to setup in an initial 4-3-3 shape with Alonso occasionally shifting to a more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation when locking-down a lead.
Alonso's system is predicated upon the ability of Aurelien Tchouameni to play a box-to-box role from his base in the midfield-three by protecting the backline and distributing to the Real Madrid forwards to spring the attack
Tudor is expected to deploy the Juventus starting XI in their familiar 3-4-2-1 that gives the Italians the ability to play with a back-five when out of possession. When attacking look for Juventus to leverage their width to find space between the Madrid lines and create overlapping runs on the flanks from the likes of Pierre Kalulu and Andrea Cambiaso.
LINEUP NOTES & INJURY NEWS
Champions League Predicted & Confirmed Lineups
Real Madrid Injury News
Alonso's most daunting challenge Wednesday will be cobbling together an adequate defensive unit as he faces a rash of availability question marks across the backline. Antonio Rudiger (quadriceps) is facing an extended absence. David Alaba (calf) has been ruled out of the fixture due to lingering muscle soreness, according to Melchor Ruiz of COPE.
Additionally, in his prematch press conference, Alonso confirmed Los Blancos will be without regular starters Dean Huijsen (calf), Trent Alexander-Arnold (hamstring), and Dani Carvajal (suspension) by stating, "Looking ahead to tomorrow (Wednesday), I don't think Huijsen, Trent, or Carvajal will be back."
With absences galore, look for veteran Eder Militao to lead the Madrid defensive effort with Raul Asencio an option to serve alongside Militao in the central defensive pairing. Absent a true right full-back, Federico Valverde should back to deputize in the role as he has previously past.
Juventus Injury News
Tudor's injury outlook is kinder than his counterparts. Juventus are nursing just a few long-term injuries while the majority of the squad remains available for selection.
Gleison Bremer (knee) is sidelined for at least an additional month as he recovers from a meniscus operation. Long-serving Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has filled the void in the starting XI, absent Bremer.
Attacker Arkadiusz Milik (calf) and defender Juan Cabal (thigh) remain out without timetables for their returns.
KEY MATCHUPS
Kenan Yildiz, Cambiaso versus Franco Mastantuono, Valverde
Yildiz is one of the most exciting young players in European football. The 20-year old attacker most recently scored on international duty with Turkyie and has netted two goals and four assists across nine appearances (nine starts) in all competitions for Juventus.
Valverde is an accomplished passer of the ball and thrives at controlling a match's pace in the center of the park. Switching into a full-back role for the fixture, expect Yildiz to isolate Valverde in situations where Yildiz can attack directly or await Cambiaso's arrival via an overlapping, supporting run.
Conversely, teenage sensation Mastantuono's pace will threaten Cambiaso's ability to join the attack. When Juventus leaves their backline of three vulnerable in attack, look for Madrid to leverage Valverde's passing ability to threaten the left-side of the Juventus defense by playing balls in behind for Mastantuono to run onto.
Midfield Numbers Battle
An obvious tactical difference between the stylistically distinct approaches of these managers is the number of players each will commit to the center of the pitch. On paper, Madrid's Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler will simply outnumber Weston McKennie and Manuel Locatelli.
If Madrid are able to maintain numeric superiority, look for Los Blancos to enjoy the lion's share of possession while forcing Juventus to play in a narrower shape to assist their midfield duo in defense.
If Juventus are able to switch the point of attack quickly, look for either McKennie or Locatelli to make slicing runs through the midfield in support of the attack and pressure the Madrid backline directly.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Jude Bellingham has been held without a goal contribution through his first six appearances (two starts) between La Liga and the Champions League. However, I back the world class midfielder to make his slow start to the season a distant memory.
Bellingham has scored 14 goals and supplied 13 assists across 48 career Champions League appearances (45 starts) between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. In a match where Los Blancos face an out-of-form Juventus and have an apparent tactical advantage in the midfield, I back Bellingham for at least one goal contribution Wednesday that will catalyze an extended run of positive form for the England international.
PREDICTED RESULT
Real Madrid 3 - Juventus 1
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Real Madrid: Nov. 4 at Liverpool
Juventus: Nov. 4 vs Sporting Lisbon
