Gareth Bale left on the bench for Champions League final with Zinedine Zidane selecting Isco instead
Zidane has selected Isco to start instead of Bale
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Your support makes all the difference.Gareth Bale has been left on the bench for the Cardiff Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus.
Bale had been desperate to start the final in his home nation, but has not played for Real in six weeks after sustaining a calf injury and so has not been selected by manager Zinedine Zidane.
Spanish international Isco will keep his place in the starting XI, having deputised in his absence and impressed with a series of superb performances during the final weeks of the season.
Although Zidane had remained coy over who he would select up front for tonight’s match, the rest of his starting eleven is as expected.
Keylor Navas has been seleced in goal, behind a four-man defence consisting of Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal.
Casemiro starts in the middle of the park, in between Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema start up front alongside Isco.
Juventus start as expected, with Massimiliano Allegri playing a three-man defence consisting of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and the veteran Andrea Barzagli.
Brazilians Alex Sandro and Dani Alves will start down the flanks, with Miralem Pjanić and Sami Khedira selected to play in the middle.
Gonzalo Higuaín will lead the line, flanked by Mario Mandžukić and the in-form Paulo Dybala.
And, of course, the inspirational Gianluigi Buffon starts in goal.
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