Isco starts ahead of Bale against Juventus

Zinedine Zidane has named Isco in the starting line-up to face Juventus, despite Gareth Bale's strong recent form.

Isco has been named in the Real Madrid starting line-up to face Juventus in Tuesday's Champions League clash, with Gareth Bale among the substitutes.

Spain international Isco has not started Madrid's last two matches in all competitions and speculation has again started to emerge about his future at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, head coach Zinedine Zidane has given the midfielder a strong vote of confidence by handing him a spot in the team to face Juve at the Allianz Stadium in the first leg of the quarter-final.

The team is almost the same as the one from the first leg of the last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain, although Dani Carvajal is restored to right-back in place of the injured Nacho Fernandez.

It would appear Isco will start at the tip of a diamond midfield, ahead of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, and behind strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, which is exactly the line-up from last season's 4-1 win over Juve in the final in Cardiff.