Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund 2016: Prediction, TV Channel, Team News For Champions League Group Decider

Boosted by Sergio Ramos’ last-gasp equalizer in El Clasico, Real Madrid will seek to claim the top spot in its Champions League group when welcoming Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabeu on Wednesday. Ramos’ late header gave Madrid a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou and maintained its six-point advantage at the top of La Liga.

The match also saw Madrid stretch its unbeaten record to 33 games in all competitions. And if Zinedine Zidane’s side can avoid defeat on Wednesday then it will match the club record set in the 1988-89 season.

But, having dropped two points at Legia Warsaw last month, it is a win that is required if the Champions League holder is to go into the last 16 of the competition as group winner and ensure a meeting with a runner-up in the first knockout round.

“We are going to play it like a final, a group final,” Zidane said in his pre-match press conference. “We’re playing at home and we want to have a great game tomorrow. We will not over think things, just play the game with intensity and try to finish first. We will prepare the game well and see how to cause them problems.

“It’s always our objective to finish first in the group.”

Real Madrid came away from Germany with a 2-2 draw when it took on Borussia Dortmund in September. Since then, Thomas Tuchel’s side has gone on to win all three games in the Champions League, including an incredible 8-4 victory over Legia Warsaw.

Far less consistency has been displayed in the Bundesliga, however, and last season’s runner-up currently sits sixth in the German league. Still, a 4-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday again showed how devastating it can be when in full flight.

In particular, the game showed the importance of having Marco Reus fit and available. The Germany international supplied three assists at the weekend but his hopes of inflicting similar damage on a team that has long been linked with making a bid for his services hang in the balance having been struck down with a heavy cold.

“He is not 100 percent, we have to bear that in mind,” Tuchel said at his press conference on Tuesday. “Tomorrow at midday I will make that decision. The best thing would be for him to start. He is an exceptional player.”

Were Dortmund to top the group, it could be a significant advantage, given that it then couldn’t be drawn against another group winner or what would be the two toughest runner-ups — Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Tuchel, however, insists that the confidence that would be provided from getting a positive result at the Bernabeu outweighs any edge in the draw.

"The important thing of being first in the group is to prove you deserve to be first,” he said. “The confidence of winning or drawing here at this level, with this atmosphere... that is the value of winning the group. It is not an advantage for the next round from my point of view, more an advantage for our growth.”

Tuchel is still battling a significant injury list, with Mario Gotze, Raphael Guerreiro, Shinji Kagawa, Nuri Sahin, Neven Subotic and goalkeeper Roman Burki unavailable. Real Madrid will remain without Gareth Bale, while the match is likely to come too soon in Toni Kroos’ recovery.

Kickoff Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
TV Channel: Fox Sports 1, ESPN Deportes
Live stream: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, Watch ESPN