Real Madrid and AEK Athens Announce Lineups for Champions League Clash

Real Madrid travels to Greece to play AEK Athens in an early kickoff fixture for matchweek 4 of the UEFA Champions League. The Spanish powerhouse sits near the top of the Champions League table, while the Greek champions find themselves positioned closer to the bottom.

In their previous European outings, Real Madrid secured a dominant 4-1 victory against RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu. Conversely, AEK Athens suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat on the road against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Both clubs experienced contrasting fortunes in their domestic leagues over the weekend. AEK Athens dropped a 2-0 match to Panathinaikos, while Real Madrid claimed a comfortable 3-0 away win over Racing Santander in La Liga, featuring goals from Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Yan Diomande.

Manager Jose Mourinho confirmed that Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior will be available and is expected to take the pitch. Vinicius has missed Real Madrid's last three domestic league fixtures due to a four-match suspension in La Liga, though his last appearance came during the European match against RB Leipzig. His domestic ban will conclude after an upcoming weekend fixture against Valencia.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid has chosen to rest Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler. Neither player is dealing with an injury, but both were left off the official squad list for the trip to Greece.

The official starting lineups for both teams have been officially confirmed. AEK Athens will deploy Alberto Brignoli in goal, supported by defenders Stavros Pilios, Filipe Relvas, Harold Moukoudi, and Lazaros Rota. Their midfield features Aboubakary Koita, Kervin Arriaga, Kaan Kairinen, and Lovro Majer, with Luka Jovic and Mijat Gacinovic leading the attack.

Real Madrid's starting formation features Thibaut Courtois as goalkeeper. The defensive line consists of Marc Cucurella, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Denzel Dumfries. Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva, and Jude Bellingham form the midfield, while the attacking trio includes Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, and Yan Diomande.