Girona.
The loss was so bad on so many levels that tonight could not have come quick enough for Madrid.
When you lose so painfully, the only remedy is having another game where you can put that memory to bed. The players will want to know how it feels to win again, quickly, and not have to reflect any further on how they got beat in Catalonia.
All eyes will be on Cristiano, who was one of the chief culprits in that game against Girona. His control was off, he was too slow to react to the quicker and hungrier Girona defenders, and he simply wasn't able to rise to the occassion.
As the team's highest goalscorer, that cannot happen tonight against Spurs. He will be up against a very good and organised defence; better than Girona's. So even moreso will he be required to think quicker and be lighter on his feet.
But it's all on Modric, Madrid's best player. He's got to be the one to own the game, and force Spurs to read off his script. From the moment the referee blows his whistle, the Croatian maestro must always be on the ball.
He's got to look to receive it all over the pitch, constantly probing, stretching Spurs and frustrating the young boys.
If Madrid are going to beat Spurs, then Modric has to have a great game. I don't see a match where Luka is kept quiet and is swarmed by Spurs that Madrid end up winning.
Nacho worries me. He has been in for the injured Varane, and his display against Girona wasn't the best. You can tell why he isn't in the starting lineup, as he plays like a backup who really needs the support of his defensive partner.
With the kinds of runs that Tottenham make, and how they understand the spacing of the Wembley pitch, Ramos has to be imperious. He'll need to guide Nacho all game, and his reading must be inch-perfect.
Ramos does not want a situation where the through ball finds Kane in space, and he has to chase. In that scenario, he can trust Varane to catch Kane as the Frenchman's ball-recovery is superb.
Nacho....not so much.
Zidane has to get his men to manage the game professionally. This won't be a standard away situation where the counter-attack will be on. Pochettino is not an attack-minded coach and likes his players to keep their position.
So the way in which Kroos and Modric control the midfield, and Isco can find the right spaces to create will be how Madrid can win this.
They will and should look for all three points, as they need this win not only to take control of the group, but to get their heads back on track for La Liga duties. HH
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