The reigning Champions League holders get their group stage campaign underway as Real Madrid host Sporting Lisbon hoping to become the first team to defend the title.
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Yeah, that’s a 17-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo dribbling with the ball at his feet, thinking about all the handsome women he’d go on to slay. After all, Sporting came within two points of pipping Benfica to the Primeira title past year, winning 27 and losing just two of 34 matches, and they have strengthened with the additions of players of the calibre of Gelson, Lazar Marković, Joel Campbell, Luc Castaignos and Bas Dost over the summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been deemed fit enough to start Real Madrid’s Champions League tie against former club Sporting Lisbon this evening.
Real will go into the game having won 26 out of their 30 games in the competition, with their last loss coming against German opposition Schalke last season.
The Portuguese worldwide was only handed his first appearance of the campaign in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Osasuna, but both he and fellow fitness doubt Karim Benzema are named in Los Blancos’ XI.
Sporting have never beaten a La Liga side in Spain during the competition, now sitting with a record of three draws and seven losses in this regard. We can’t wait to see him score at will!
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In team news, Los Blancos will be without Keylor Navas, Fabio Coentrao and Isco, while the Portuguese outfit have Lukas Spalvis and Jefferson out for tonight’s encounter.
