The league phase of this Champions League campaign has brought some unexpected events, but one of the biggest surprises is that there's a possibility that Real Madrid won't qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament as they host RB Salzburg on Tuesday.

Real Madrid's first Champions League fixture of 2025 comes against RB Salzburg at the Santiago Bernabéu. With just two Champions League matches left before the knockout rounds, Real Madrid need to finish the new league phase out strong.

After three defeats in their opening six UCL league phase games, Carlo Ancelotti’s team have little margin for error against Salzburg and Brest.