Real Madrid gear up for their first-ever Champions League encounter against Lille at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday night, eager to build on its strong start in the tournament.
The reigning champions kicked off their campaign with a commanding victory over Stuttgart, while Lille seek redemption after a disappointing opening loss in Portugal.
Los Blancos have remained unbeaten so far this season, following their initial Champions League triumph with two additional wins in La Liga against Espanyol and Alaves.
However, their pursuit of perfection was temporarily derailed in a heated derby against Atletico Madrid, where they relinquished a late lead to settle for a 1-1 draw after Angel Correa equalized in injury time.
Despite Barcelona’s surprise defeat at Osasuna, Real Madrid now sit just three points off the top, lamenting the missed opportunity to narrow the gap to one.
As they shift focus to their beloved Champions League, Real Madrid aim to break a two-game losing streak in France, having suffered setbacks against Paris Saint-Germain in recent outings.
While it marks the first meeting between the two clubs, manager Carlo Ancelotti holds a mixed record against Lille, winning only two of five previous encounters.
However, Real boast an impressive Champions League run, remaining unbeaten in 14 matches, with 10 victories during that stretch.
A positive result on Wednesday would equal the 15-game unbeaten streak they achieved under Zinedine Zidane from April 2016 to May 2017.
The current campaign presents challenges ahead, with daunting fixtures against Liverpool and Atalanta looming later in the group stage.
On the other side, Lille will be eager to end Real Madrid's impressive run and capitalize on a recent victory that revived their confidence.
After a disappointing start to the season, including a 2-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon and a 3-3 draw with Strasbourg, Les Dogues broke their winless streak with a resounding 3-0 victory over Le Havre, led by a hat trick from Jonathan David.
Despite their recent struggles, Lille has shown resilience at home in European competitions, winning seven of their last eight matches since last season.
Their last encounter against a Spanish club resulted in a 2-1 win over Sevilla in 2021, ending an eight-match winless streak against teams from La Liga.
Real Madrid will be without key players as Kylian Mbappe remains sidelined with a thigh injury, ruling him out of a potential return to France after his summer move from PSG.
Fran Garcia is a doubt following a tough challenge in the Madrid derby that resulted in a red card for Marcos Llorente.
Thibaut Courtois will undergo a late fitness test due to a muscle issue, while David Alaba continues his recovery from an ACL tear.
Brahim Diaz and Dani Ceballos are also unavailable, but Eduardo Camavinga's return to the squad offers a glimmer of hope.
Lille face their own injury concerns, with young midfielder Hákon Arnar Haraldsson out due to a foot injury, and recent England debutant Angel Gomes suspended following a red card against Sporting.
However, manager Bruno Genesio can count on the in-form duo of Edon Zhegrova and Jonathan David, who have each netted four goals in the team's last eight.