The UEFA Champions League is back in action for the first phase and Real Madrid will be hosting Juventus at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu at 2:45 PM ET and the match comes after Real won 2-0 over Malaga in La Liga play and now Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will be in the spotlight on Wednesday night.
Bale has been under the microscope since his transfer to Real Madrid from Tottenham and injuries have slowed things down considerably, limiting him to just one start this season since coming over in a 100 million move. Bale obviously has high expectations after making a move like that and Ronaldo came out to say that the constant pressure from all sides is "not good" and that he is getting along well with his teammates. Bale has been a factor for the club despite not playing much, as he came into the game against Malaga last week and helped set up a goal for Ronaldo on a penalty. Both clubs have played two matches and Real is tops in the table and has six points after two wins.
Check here for the UEFA Champions League Live Stream for Real Madrid and Juventus.
Bale should be more fit for the match against Juventus and he is expecting to play a full match over the weekend in the much-anticipated matchup against Barcelona at Camp Nou. Real Madrid is in Group B of the standings and is atop the group after previously winning their first two matches in league play, outscoring opponents 10-1 during that span. The first two matches included a 6-1 win over Galatasaray and a 4-0 win over FC Copenhagen and the team is considered the favorite of the group. Juventus has pulled off two draws so far in the Champions League to give them two points and they will desperate for some on Wednesday.
Juventus has to deal with a high-scoring club in Real that has plenty of offensive weapons and Ronaldo is leading the team with five goals. Ángel Di María has three assists and has a nine goal differential and Real Madrid is taking on a Juventus team that has scored just three goals in their two matches. Ronaldo spoke with reporters about enjoying playing with Bale and he is excited to have him back on the pitch more going forward. Bale's injury has been reported on extensively and he said that he wasn't quite as hurt as everyone made it out to be and he said to reporters that he is getting back into starting shape and that could come on Saturday against Barcelona. Juventus is coming off of a loss to Fiorentina and they are starting to slip a bit in the Serie A standings and they will try and get things back on track with a solid performance against Madrid.
Real Madrid comes into the match after two straight La Liga wins over Levante and Malaga and before that they had the Champions League victory over Copenhagen. After playing Juventus, the team plays against Barcelona and then Sevilla FC and another La Liga match and then they will play the next leg against Juventus.
