CSKA Moskva’s home struggles face a further stern examination as Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League winners in each of the last three seasons, visit in the second round of Group G games.
• The Russian club looked set to open their latest UEFA Champions League campaign with a defeat as they fell two goals behind at Viktoria Plzeň on matchday one, but a second-half fightback allowed Nikola Vlašić to snatch a point with a penalty in the final seconds. Madrid encountered no such worries, easing past last season’s semi-finalists Roma with a 3-0 win at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Previous meetings
• The sides crossed paths for the only time in the 2011/12 round of 16, when they shared a 1-1 draw in Moscow. Madrid were comfortable 4-1 second-leg winners in Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo – who had also scored at CSKA – adding two more to his total, with Karim Benzema also on the scoresheet.
• Madrid went on the semi-finals, where they lost on penalties to Bayern München.
Form guide
CSKA Moskva
• This is CSKA’s 12th UEFA Champions League campaign, equalling the Russian record previously held alone by Spartak Moskva.
• In 2017/18 CSKA finished third behind Manchester United and Basel in their UEFA Champions League section, going on to beat Crvena zvezda and Lyon in the UEFA Europa League before losing to Arsenal in the quarter-finals (1-4 away, 2-2 home).
• The Russian club won four of their eight European home games in 2017/18 (D1 L3), although they lost two of three in the group stage.
• Excluding qualifying ties, CSKA have won only two of their last 11 European home fixtures (D4 L5).
• CSKA are, however, unbeaten at home to Spanish visitors, drawing three of their four fixtures – most recently against Madrid in 2012 – and winning the other.
Real Madrid
• Madrid are holders and 13-time champions. Semi-finalists or better in each of the last eight seasons, this is Real Madrid’s 49th European Cup campaign – more than any other side.
• Third in last season’s Liga, the Spanish giants are in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the 23rd time – a competition high they share with Barcelona and Porto.
• In 2017/18, Madrid finished second in their group – the second year running they had been runners-up in their section – but went on to beat Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern München in the knockout rounds before Gareth Bale (2) and Karim Benzema scored in the 3-1 final victory against Liverpool in Kyiv.
• Madrid picked up six points away from home in last season’s group stage, losing 3-1 at Tottenham but winning 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund and 6-0 at APOEL – the latter result their biggest away success in the UEFA Champions League.
• Madrid have lost three of their last 18 away European matches, winning 11.
• Julen Lopetegui’s side lost 4-2 to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn in August, denying them a third straight triumph in the competition.
• Madrid have nevertheless lost only four of their last 34 European fixtures, winning 23 and drawing seven. Those draws include the 2016 final against Atlético Madrid, which Madrid won on penalties in Milan.
• The Merengues have lost on four of their ten trips to Russia (W2 D4) but are unbeaten in their last three visits, winning twice. Madrid are unbeaten in their four fixtures against Russian clubs, home and away (W4 D2).
Links and trivia
• Luka Modrić provided an assist in a 2-2 draw, then scored his penalty past CSKA’s Igor Akinfeev in the shoot-out as Croatia eliminated hosts Russia from this summer’s FIFA World Cup quarter-finals in Moscow. Mário Fernandes, who scored the hosts’ second goal, and Alan Dzagoev were also in the Russia team, Fernandes missing his spot kick in the shoot-out.
• Akinfeev also saved two penalties in Russia’s shoot-out win against Spain in the last 16; Ramos converted Spain’s fourth kick. Fernandes was again in the Russia side.
• Ramos scored twice in Spain’s 3-3 friendly draw against Russia in November 2017.
• Akinfeev saved a Gareth Bale penalty in Russia’s 2-1 home defeat of Wales in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The Welshman scored past the CSKA goalkeeper in a 3-0 win against Russia in the UEFA EURO 2016 group stage, taking his side into the round of 16 and knocking out Akinfeev’s side.
• International team-mates:
Nikola Vlašić & Luka Modrić (Croatia)
Abel Hernández & Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
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