Real Madrid to play Napoli at last-16 round of Champions League

Central defender Raphael Varane is out with a thigh problem.

Napoli, 3-1 down after the first leg, have winger Dries Mertens available who has recovered from a knock.

Mertens scored twice in the 2-1 Serie A win at Roma at the weekend, as Napoli narrowed the gap on the second-placed side to two points.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said his side had a “3%” chance of overturning the deficit when Real visit the Stadio San Paolo.

“It’s an almost impossible game for us because they score all the time,” said Sarri.

Meanwhile, the coach said a three-week silence with club president Aurelio di Laurentiis had come to an end.

Di Laurentiis imposed a media blackout on Sarri and the team after their 3-1 first-leg loss. However, Sarri said his conversation with the prominent Italian film producer was predominantly about cinema.

“We were united by necessity, now the common aim is to do well,” said Sarri.

“In nearly half an hour, we talked about cinema for 28 minutes and football for 30 seconds, but only in general about future situations.”