5 reasons why Real Madrid could struggle against Inter Milan | UEFA Champions League 2020/21

#3 Lack of options at the right-back

Vazquez was the latest right-back option to go off injured

One particular area in the Real Madrid defense which Zidane will fret over is the right-back slot because the team is seriously running short of options, and do not have any natural player in that position available right now.

At the start of the campaign, Los Blancos were spoilt for choice, with Achraf Hakimi, Alvaro Odriozola, Daniel Carvajal, and Nacho, all in the squad. However, Hakimi left for Inter in July, while the other three are currently injured.

Since Real Madrid’s two RBs Carvajal & Odriozola are injured, we had our CB Nacho & RW Lucas covering for them with both getting injured in consecutive matches. So, Zidane calls Castilla’s RB Santos for first team training. Today, Sergio Santos tests positive for COVID-19.

— Ryan. (@Rygista) November 1, 2020

Lucas Vazquez, a right-winger by trade, was shoehorned into this position for some recent games, but he picked up a muscle injury in Saturday's clash and is now doubtful for today.

This compelled Zidane to bring up right-back Sergino Santos from the Castilla squad, and to make matters worse, he tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, literally opening the proverbial Pandora's Box.

#4 Questions remain over Real Madrid's attack

Real Madrid have striking options, but is everyone at the top of their game?

While they are not as pressing as that in the defense, but Los Blancos have some questions to answer in the attacking vanguard too.

With three goals in the last two games, Benzema is slowly getting back into form, but he needs proper service to truly make an impact - he was kept quiet by Shakhtar and then nullified by Gladbach until his goal in the dying moments.

On his left is Vinicius Junior, who's been highly erratic this season. He scored a wonderful goal against Shakhtar but was poor in the next three games, and the less said about Marco Asensio the better.

Zidane will be boosted by the return to Eden Hazard though, who even scored his first goal at the weekend, but will need to get his attack in sync to score a handful of goals.

#5 Inter Milan desperate to get into last-16

Inter Milan are really keen to get deep into the Champions League

Inter Milan marched all the way to the finals of the Europa League last summer, but that wasn't before getting knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League for the second consecutive time. They finished behind Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur in the 2018/19 season and then behind Barcelona (again) and Borussia Dortmund the following year.

The Nerazzurri would be keen to get third time lucky and progress into the knock-out rounds, the hopes of which will be bolstered by a big result here. They're currently a point above Real Madrid but remain third in the group and Antonio Conte will set his side out to pile further pressure on their hosts with the San Siro leg still to come.