Real Madrid: 3 keys to victory against Shakhtar Donetsk on Champions League Matchday 3

2. Real Madrid must stay alert to the threat on counters

With Real Madrid’s first-choice midfield ready to start, fans are hoping for a more dominant Madrid performance in midfield with a higher share of possession and dictation of the game’s momentum. The matches so far haven’t been on these tracks even against Espanyol or FC Sheriff, there were silly giveaways and the opposition could place a few passes forward resulting in a well-worked buildup.

Shakhtar is a club with a similar trait. From the two losses last season it is pretty clear that their threat on counters stays very alive and Los Blancos should be mindful of that.

The key will be Thibaut Courtois who needs to use his voice of leadership at the back and guide his defenders per need to keep threats at bay. Ferland Mendy should be back in the lineup after returning from an injury, and David Alaba and Eder Militao are expected to play despite injury scares over the international break. That should help Real defensively, but the same way Shakhtar beat Real last season has been a recurring theme in 2021-2022.

With recent defensive issues and two back-to-back disappointing games, a revenge-minded game against a stubborn opposition is never the best way to restart. But, it is what it is and Real Madrid will have to live through it and hopefully gather a positive result out of all the chaos.