Champions League
2025-09-16 - Real Madrid vs Marseille
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League
Tuesday 16th September 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Real Madrid
Standards are such at Real Madrid that a Champions League Quarter Final defeat is seen as a massive underachievement and so there is considerable pressure on Xabi Alonso and the squad to perform much better this time around. They made heavy weather of even getting out of the League Phase and Real Madrid had to go through the Play Off Round in February so there is a real expectation that a top eight spot can be secured this time around.
The Spanish giants were beaten 4-0 in the Club World Cup Semi Final in the summer, while the Champions League exit last season was the earliest since losing in the Last 16 in the 2019/20 campaign. They had won 2 of the previous 3 Champions League titles before that defeat to Arsenal, while Real Madrid fans will expect better at home having lost to The Gunners and AC Milan last season. To their credit, Real Madrid did win 5 of the other 7 home Champions League games played.
Real Madrid have opened the season with 4 straight La Liga victories, although 3 of those have been by a single goal margin. The side have won 6 in a row at home in all competitions since losing 1-2 to Arsenal in the Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg.
Antonio Rudiger is set for a spell on the sidelines, while manager Xabi Alonso is expected to utilise the squad for this fixture. Ferland Mendy, Jude Bellingham and Endrick are others expected to miss out through injury though.
Marseille
Missing out on all European Football allowed Roberto De Zerbi to work with his Marseille squad all week and ultimately restore the club to the Champions League. Fans would not have been pleased to see their status as the only French Club to ever win the top European prize ended by Paris Saint-Germain's success, while the start to this season has been inconsistent.
They have finished in the top three domestically in three of the last four years, but chasing down Paris Saint-Germain continues to be an incredibly tough task for all in France and not just Marseille. The last Champions League adventure ended in the Third Qualifying Round for the 1993 European Cup Winners, but Marseille did reach the Europa League Semi Final in 2024 and earning a spot in the Knock Out Rounds in this competition is well within their scope.
Marseille have won both home games played in the French top flight, but suffered defeats in both fixtures played on their travels by the same 1-0 scoreline. Those results means Marseille have won 1 of their last 8 away games going back to last season and they have suffered 6 defeats in that run.
Amine Gouiri is expected to miss out on Tuesday, while manager Roberto De Zerbi will look to freshen things up for this tough opening fixture.
Head to Head
Real Madrid and Marseille have met 4 times previously and it is the Spanish club who have won all of those matches.
The home wins have both been by comfortable margins in 2003 and 2009.
Prediction
Any time a new manager comes on board, it is going to be something of a learning curve for players and so having the World Club Cup might have benefited Xabi Alonso.
Expectations are always huge at Real Madrid and patience is not something associated with the fans so the perfect start to the new season will have given Alonso some breathing room.
There has been plenty to like from Real Madrid and the talent that Xabi Alonso can call upon with one of the favourites to win the Champions League certainly makes life all the easier.
Last season Real Madrid missed out on the top eight in the Champions League and they will want to avoid having to play an extra Knock Out Round in this campaign. They were strong at home for much of the Champions League season, although suffering a couple of defeats here, and Real Madrid will certainly feel they have the firepower to beat Marseille in this opening fixture.
Roberto De Zerbi's men have had a mixed start to the new season, but they are a team that will look to get forward and cause problems.
However, that has also led to teams creating some very good chances against them and Marseille may be given an early reminder of the gap in quality between themselves and some of the elite European clubs.
Marseille have lost both away games to open this season and that has continued a poor trend of results on their travels going back to last season. It means 6 losses in 8 away games and this powerful Real Madrid attacking team can win the opening fixture by a couple of goals as long as they can show a bit more composure in the final third.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Real Madrid 3-1 Marseille
