Álvaro Arbeloa makes his Champions League managerial bow on Tuesday night, as Real Madrid welcome Monaco to a tense Santiago Bernabéu in Gameweek 7 of the league phase.
Arbeloa’s reign, which many suspect will only be temporary, started with a humiliating 3–2 defeat to second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey, leading to scenes of discontent on home soil at the weekend.
Calls for Florentino Pérez to resign as president were widespread at the Bernabéu during Madrid’s 2–0 victory over Levante, which means, after Barcelona were beaten 2–1 at Real Sociedad, that Los Blancos are just a point adrift of the La Liga leaders.
The 15-time European champions were beaten twice under Xabi Alonso during their first six league phase outings of the season, but they’re still in a good position to qualify automatically for the round of 16. Madrid sit seventh in the table, while their upcoming opponents are down in 19th despite only losing once.
Monaco’s decision to part ways with Adi Hütter in favor of Sébastien Pocognoli remains a curious one, with the Belgian’s side struggling in ninth in Ligue 1.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the game.
What Time Does Real Madrid vs. Monaco Kick Off?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu
- Date: Tuesday, Jan. 20
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. GMT
- Referee: Espen Andreas Eskås (NOR)
- VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
Real Madrid vs. Monaco Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
- Real Madrid: 1 win
- Monaco: 1 win
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Monaco 3–1 Real Madrid (April 6, 2004)–Champions League
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Real Madrid | Monaco |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid 2–0 Levante - 1/17/26 | Monaco 1–3 Lorient - 1/16/26 |
| Albacete 3–2 Real Madrid - 1/14/26 | US Orléans 1–3 Monaco - 1/10/26 |
| Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid - 1/11/26 | Monaco 1–3 Lyon - 1/3/26 |
| Atlético Madrid 1–2 Real Madrid - 1/8/26 | Auxerre 1–2 Monaco - 12/21/25 |
| Real Madrid 5–1 Real Betis - 1/4/26 | Marseille 1–0 Monaco - 12/14/25 |
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Monaco on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App |
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports 2, discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 8 |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
| Mexico | TNT Sports, Max Mexico, TNT Go |
Real Madrid Team News
Rodrygo was back in training ahead of Tuesday’s game, but the Brazilian international hasn’t been included in Arbeloa’s squad.
Gonzalo García was named in Madrid’s frontline at the weekend in Rodrygo’s absence, but we could see young Argentine Franco Mastantuono get the nod here. Arda Güler is another option, having primarily played in a deeper role for Alonso.
Kylian Mbappé came through unscathed against Levante and will lead the line, while Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, who were on the receiving end of most of the jeers last time out, should combine with the Frenchman in attack.
Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Éder Militão remain sidelined for the hosts, while Brahim Díaz’s stellar Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended in heartbreak on Sunday. Álvaro Carreras is suspended, so Fran García should start at left-back.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Monaco
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Monaco (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, García; Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Mastantuono, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappé.
Monaco Team News
Wout Faes started alongside Eric Dier at center back on Saturday for the visitors, but the Belgian cannot be added to Monaco’s Champions League squad until the next phase, should they advance.
Thilo Kehrer could thus return to Pocognoli’s team in Madrid, with Monaco currently without Mohammed Salisu through injury.
Christian Mawissa, Takumi Minamino and Lukas Hradecky are also sidelined, while Paul Pogba is dealing with a calf injury.
Lamine Camara won’t return on Tuesday night, having claimed AFCON glory with Senegal.
Monaco Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid
Monaco predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-3-1-2): Köhn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Dier, Henrique; Teze, Zakaria, Golovin; Akliouche; Balogun, Biereth.
Real Madrid vs. Monaco Score Prediction
Sunday’s performance was far from inspiring, with Madrid prevailing over Levante by virtue of a Mbappé penalty and a Raúl Asencio header from a set-piece.
The atmosphere certainly seemed to play a role in undermining their efforts, and it’ll be interesting to hear the extent of the home crowd’s discontent on Tuesday night.
However, the hosts are facing an out-of-form Monaco side that are without a few key players for the trip, including midfield star Camara.
Pocognoli hasn’t yet gotten a tune out of this talented group of players, and while Arbeloa’s Madrid are hardly unbeatable, the hosts, despite the current tension, should be able to ease to victory over the Ligue 1 side.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid vs. Monaco: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
