Manchester City and Real Madrid meet again over two legs as they battle it out to reach the Champions League round of 16.
These two have combined for some of the most memorable outings in the competition’s modern history, with the pair facing off in the previous three Champions League campaigns. However, City’s underwhelming league phase means they’re facing off against the perennial European champions at a much earlier knockout juncture.
Pep Guardiola’s side squeaked into the play-offs by virtue of a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge on Matchday 8. They finished a lowly 22nd in the table to set up this blockbuster tie.
Madrid’s continental campaign struggled to get going until late on in the league phase, with back-to-back victories over RB Salzburg and Brest seeing them climb up to 11th. The holders have distinct issues despite their array of superstars, but this is usually the time when they come into their own.
A 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Saturday means Carlo Ancelotti’s side remain at the summit of La Liga, but we look poised for a thrilling three-horse race for the title.
Rodri has been included in Man City’s squad for the knockout stages, with the club holding out hope that he may return from a torn ACL before the end of the season. The Spaniard’s still some way off a full recovery, though.
January signing Vitor Reis hasn’t been added to the squad, but the rest of City’s new boys have. There are doubts over Nico Gonzalez’s status, however, after he limped off with a back injury on Saturday.
Nathan Ake and Jeremy Doku are likely to miss out again through injury.
Man City predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Akanji, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland
Madrid have serious issues in defence with Lucas Vazquez the latest to join the injury list. The veteran Spaniard is expected to miss both legs against City due to a hamstring injury.
Antonio Rudiger may be back next week, but he’s going to miss Tuesday’s game with a thigh injury. David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal are also sidelined.
Federico Valverde will likely be used at right-back, potentially opening the door for Luka Modric to start in midfield. Eduardo Camavinga was back at the weekend and is a shoo-in for Ancelotti’s pivot.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Man City (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Camavinga, Modric; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.
