Real, on Wednesday, 22 January, will play against Salzburg. Surprisingly, Madrid have not yet secured qualification even for the Champions League knockout rounds. The Austrians have nowhere to retreat to - only a win will do.

Real makes you fear for their prospects in January. The team lost with a large score to Barcelona in the confrontation for the Super Cup, conceding five goals. Next was a very difficult match against Celta. In the end, Real won with a score of 5:2, but only in extra time. Easily managed to beat only Las Palmas, but here you have to discount the level of the opponent.

At Real right now there is an obvious trend for the total more. The team has played thirteen top meetings in a row. The last time the total was not broken back on the 1st of December in the game with Getafe. This also speaks about the problems in defence. Real can not win at the expense of reliability - we have to take a bright attack.

Carlo Ancelotti is trying to find the optimal combination amid injuries, but there is no ideal partner for Antonio Rüdiger. For example, in the match against Las Palmas, Raul Asensije was on the pitch at all, while Garcia and Vazquez were on the flanks.

Salzburg are suffering for the second season in a row. Last year the club sensationally lost to Sturm to win the league, and this year they are suffering on the domestic scene. Salzburg are only fifth in their league - they are now ten points away from the top spot. In the Champions League, the fight for the play-offs is virtually over: they need to win two games to keep their chances alive. This is a very unlikely scenario.

Salzburg were able to capitalise on the positive momentum following the resignation of head coach Pep Leinders. The 56-year-old German Thomas Letsch is now working with the team. For the specialist, Salzburg is still the main chance in a far from stellar career. The club in Austria has not lost for four consecutive matches. Curiously, the team has a very long break in the league - meetings will only start in February. In this, there is a danger of losing form. On the other hand, the new coach has had the opportunity to hold a mini training camp.

Bookmakers put an abnormal odds on the total. Analysts assume that the rivals will score at least four goals. A rare case when you can catch a decent odds on the absence of five goals. Real may well formalise a pragmatic victory. Salzburg should be fresher after the training camp. This will help the Austrians to maintain the intensity. At the same time, the team is now led by a more pragmatic coach - open football is less likely. Salzburg will not fly into attack against such an opponent. Real Madrid's stars are unlikely to get the space they need.