Madrid, April 6 (IANS) Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa faces several major decisions as his side prepares to host Bayern Munich in the first leg of their 2025-26 Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday night.

Real Madrid go into the game after a 2-1 defeat to Mallorca on Saturday, a result that left it seven points behind FC Barcelona in La Liga with just eight games remaining. With the league title slipping away, Real Madrid’s campaign and Arbeloa’s future as coach now appear to rest on success in Europe.

The good news for the Real Madrid coach is that his team is usually transformed in the Champions League, especially at home in the special atmosphere of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr will lead the Real Madrid attack, with Vinicius returning after starting Saturday’s defeat on the bench following his return from international duty with a slight physical issue.

Arbeloa’s first major dilemma is whether Jude Bellingham should start after he was fit enough only for a second-half substitute appearance at the weekend. Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Arda Guler are all expected to start, leaving Arbeloa to choose between Bellingham, young midfielder Thiago Pitarch, and Brahim Diaz for the remaining place.

Eder Militao poses another question for the coach. Militao marked his return with a goal against Mallorca after four months out following knee surgery and, when fully fit, offers a more reliable partner for Antonio Rudiger than Dean Huijsen. Arbeloa has to decide whether the half-hour Militao played on Saturday is enough for him to start against a Bayern attack that may or may not include Harry Kane, who has also been struggling with a minor injury.

The two full-back positions also present dilemmas. At right back, Trent Alexander-Arnold offers creativity and excellent delivery from set pieces but is vulnerable defensively at the highest level, while Dani Carvajal is more solid defensively but is beginning to show his age.

Ferland Mendy’s injury means Arbeloa must choose between Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras on the left, with Carreras failing to strengthen his case at the weekend.

Real Madrid and Bayern have met 28 times in Europe, with Real Madrid winning seven of the last nine meetings. Arbeloa will need to improve that record further by the final whistle on Tuesday, and the decisions he makes could prove decisive.

–IANS

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