Pep Guardiola ranks Manchester City’s chances of a UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs comeback against Real Madrid at around 1%.
Obviously, this could be an example of pre-match kidology and is perhaps a harsh assessment ahead of his team’s prospects after they led for the majority of last week’s first leg at the Etihad Stadium before collapsing to a 3-2 defeat.
But there is also the formidable prospect of tackling Madrid on their home patch in the UEFA Champions League. A far better version of City than the 2024/25 vintage that succumbed to some Santiago Bernabeu voodoo in the 2022 semifinals.
Each club experienced contrasting weekends as Madrid dropped points for a third consecutive matchweek in La Liga. The 1-1 draw at Osasuna opened the door for Barcelona to replace them at the summit. City hammered Newcastle 4-0 in a key victory for their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League but it might have come at a cost.
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Real Madrid vs. Man City lineups, confirmed starting 11, team news
Jude Bellingham was controversially sent off at Osasuna for swearing at the referee but any pending suspension does not apply to European competition and he will face City having scored the stoppage time winner in Manchester last week, a third career goal against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos and Rodrygo rested up on the bench at Estadio El Sadar, where Carlo Ancelotti selected an otherwise strong side, and are likely to return.
Part of Ancelotti’s reasoning for minimal rotation was probably trying to groove his makeshift backline a little more. Lucas Vazquez, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao all remain out.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy — Ceballos, Camavinga — Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr — Mbappe.
Injured: Militao (ACL), Carvajal (ACL), Rudiger (thigh), Alaba (muscular), Vazquez (hamstring).
Suspended: None.
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Erling Haaland landed awkwardly when completing a headed assist for James McAtee to crown the win over Newcastle. He was substituted shortly afterwards but Guardiola was cautiously optimistic over his prospects for Madrid.
Omar Marmoush opened his City account with a hat-trick and fellow January signing Nico Gonzalez excelled at the base of the midfield. Both are likely to start, while Guardiola will hope to have Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Jack Grealish available following their latest setbacks of respectively injury-stained seasons.
There’s a decision to make at right-back after the abductor injury Manuel Akanji suffered in the first leg forced the Switzerland defender into surgery. Rico Lewis offers smoothness in possession but after an occasionally torrid time against Vinicius Junior in the first leg, Abdukodir Khusanov‘s aggression and rapid recovery pace might be an appealing alternative.
Man City (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Khusanov, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol — Stones, Nico — Savinho, Foden, Marmoush—Haaland.
Injured: Rodri (ACL), Bobb (ankle), Akanji (abductor), Dias (muscular – doubt), Ake (muscular – doubt), Grealish (groin – doubt)
Suspended: None.
MORE: All the latest Champions League news | How does the 2024/25 Champions League work? | Full UCL match schedule
Real Madrid vs. Man City live stream, TV channel
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