Real Madrid will look to win a football match for the first time since September 22 when they welcome Viktoria Plzen to the Bernabeu in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Los Blancos have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions, and there will be intense pressure on the European champions to return to winning ways ahead of this weekend's El Clasico at Camp Nou.
Real Madrid
© Reuters
Many expected Julen Lopetegui to lose his job as head coach of Madrid following Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Levante.
Indeed, there was already huge pressure on the former Spain boss entering the clash with Levante, and yet another defeat led to whistles in the Bernabeu.
Madrid did manage to end their scoring drought on Saturday, but there is no getting away from the fact that they have lost their last three matches in all competitions, and are languishing down in fifth position in La Liga.
The European champions opened their 2018-19 Champions League challenge with a 3-0 win over Roma on September 19, but suffered a 1-0 defeat at CSKA Moscow last time out.
The capital giants have the small matter of a trip to Barcelona in La Liga this weekend, but simply must return to winning ways in this match in order to avoid what would be a full-blown crisis. Indeed, it is already their worst run of results for almost 10 years.
Semi-finalists or better in each of the last eight seasons, Madrid have won each of the last three editions of the Champions League, and have won 35 of their last 43 Champions League home matches, suffering just two defeats.
It would be staggering if Madrid failed to make it through this particular section, and a positive performance could be the turning point for Los Blancos, who continue to be strongly linked with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.
Recent form: LWDWWL
Recent form (all competitions): WLDLLL
Viktoria Plzen
Czech First League winners for the fifth time last season, this is the first year in their history that Plzen automatically qualified for the group stage of the Champions League, but they do have experience at this level.
Indeed, the Czech outfit competed in the group stage of the 2011-12 and 2013-14 Champions League, although they have not yet managed to make the knockout round of Europe's biggest competition.
Plzen looked set to open their Group G campaign with a win against CSKA Moscow last month, but they were pegged back in the final moments as the pair played out a 2-2 draw.
Pavel Vrba's side would have travelled to Roma in their second group match full of confidence following their performance against CSKA, but they suffered a 5-0 defeat to the Italian giants, meaning that the Czech club have lost all but one of their seven away matches in the group stage of the Champions League.
Plzen have also lost all three of their away games in Spain without scoring, the last of which was a 1-0 defeat to Villarreal in the group stage of the 2015-16 Europa League.
The Czech champions do sit top of their domestic league, however, having won nine and lost two of their 12 fixtures this term. Since the heavy defeat at Roma, they have beaten Teplice and Vyskov in the league and cup, but were held to a 2-2 draw by Bohemians 1905 on Friday night.
Even considering Madrid's problems, it is a huge ask for Plzen to pick up a result in this match. Vrba's team only lost 2-0 away to Barcelona back in 2011, however, and will be eyeing their biggest ever European win on Tuesday night.
Recent form: LDDLDL
Recent form (all competitions): LWLWWD
Team News
© Reuters
Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale both came off the bench in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Levante, and the pair should return to the starting XI for this match.
Mariano Diaz and Lucas Vazquez would be the likeliest to drop out, although Marco Asensio struggled to impress against Levante, while Isco looked far from match fit following appendix surgery.
Neither Toni Kroos nor Nacho were involved against Levante, but the former should return to the middle of midfield, while the latter is expected to replace Alvaro Odriozola at right-back with Dani Carvajal still on the sidelines.
There have been calls for Keylor Navas to replace Thibaut Courtois between the sticks, but the Belgium international should keep his spot in the XI.
As for Plzen, Radim Reznik and Lukas Hejda both made their comeback from injury in Friday's 2-2 draw with Bohemians 1905 in the league, and the pair are in contention to start on Tuesday night.
Jan Kopic has been absent since the end of September with an ankle problem, however, and the midfielder is again expected to miss out.
Michael Krmencik is Plzen's leading scorer this season with nine goals in all competitions, and the 25-year-old, who has struck twice in the Champions League, will lead the away side's line.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Nacho, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Asensio
Viktoria Plzen possible starting lineup:
Kozacik; Limbersky, Hubik, Hejda, Reznik; Prochazka, Hrosovsky; Kovarik, Horava, Zeman; Krmencik
Head To Head
Tuesday will bring the first ever meeting between Madrid and Plzen in European competition.
That said, Los Blancos faced Czech opposition in the shape of Sparta Prague during the second group stage of the 2001-02 Champions League - winning both matches.
Plzen, meanwhile, as mentioned, took on Spanish outfit Villarreal in the Europa League back in 2015, and have also previously locked horns with both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
We say: Real Madrid 2-0 Viktoria Plzen
Madrid are not exactly in the best of form, but this is a nice game for the European champions as they attempt to return to winning ways. We fancy Lopetegui's side to put three points on the board for the first time in more than one month.
Matt Law
