Real Madrid vs Roma preview: Gareth Bale back in scoring form for Champions League round of 16 tie

A look ahead to the Champions League round of 16 fixture at the Santiago Bernebeu

Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale in training (Getty Images)

It’s a big game for…

Mohamed Salah: Roma have won seven of their last eight games in all competitions but, unfortunately for the Italian giants, the one loss in that sequence was a comprehensive 2-0 home defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of this tie.

If they are to stand any chance of turning things around at the Bernebéu they will need goals. Top-scorer Mohamed Salah has five in his last five fixtures and will be looking to add to that tally against a Real Madrid side who have managed to keep six clean sheets in the Champions League already this season.

Best stat…

21: Real Madrid are the joint top scorers in this season’s Champions League with 21, an average of three goals per game.

Remember when…

Goals from Rodrigo Taddei and Mirko Vučinić helped Roma to a famous 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernebéu in 2008 to complete a remarkable 4-2 aggregate win over the Spanish giants.

Player to watch…

Gareth Bale: Prior to picking up a calf injury in January, the Welshman had scored a remarkable nine goals in five games. Bale returned at the weekend and picked up where he left off, scoring Real’s seventh in a rout over Celta Vigo in La Liga. Bale hasn’t scored in the Champions League since December 2014 and will be hoping to bring that run to an end against Roma.

Past three-meetings…

Roma 0 Real Madrid 2 (Ronaldo, Jesé)
Champions League, February 2016

Real Madrid 1 (Raul) Roma 2 (Taddei, Vučinić )
Champions League, March 2008

Roma 2 (Pizarro, Mancini) Real Madrid 1 (Raul)
Champions League, February 2008

Form guide…

Real Madrid: WWDLWW

Roma: WWLWWW

Vital information…

Kick-off time: 19:45

TV: Live on BT Sport 19:00, highlights on ITV on Wednesday 9 March at 22:40