Pep Guardiola has the luxury of heading into the second leg of Man City’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid with no injury concerns whatsoever.
The current European champions are well placed to secure an unprecedented double treble, and if they dispatch serial Champions League winners Real, Guardiola and Co. will surely fancy their chances of doing just that.
Kyle Walker returns for Man City
Expected to play in a 4-1-4-1 system, Ederson’s return couldn’t be more timely for the hosts, and with Kyle Walker fit again, Vinicius Junior will find that space is at a premium down Man City’s right side.
Alongside Walker, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji will provide a brick wall defensively.
Your City side to face Real Madrid ?
XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Doku, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis#ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/2NtHEk7XTt
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 17, 2024
Not to mention that they’ll be protected by defensive midfielder supreme, Rodri.
Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are an attacking quartet to give any team nightmares, and with Erling Haaland up front, Los Blancos really do have their work cut out to keep the hosts from scoring.
Aurelien Tchouameni’s suspension sees Nacho deputise and captain the side, and the Spaniard will sit alongside Antonio Ruddier in Real’s defence, flanked Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy.
?? Our starting ??!
? @ManCity#UCL pic.twitter.com/L1loYbnjcV— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) April 17, 2024
Andriy Lunin continues in goal in the absence of Thibaut Courtois, whilst Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde will sit in behind Jude Bellingham.
The England international is likely to be given a free roll to support both Rodrygo and Vini Jr. and on his return to this country, Bellingham remains a dangerous customer with the bit between his teeth and something to prove.
It promises to be another pulsating encounter at the Etihad Stadium, with Los Blancos surely looking to avenge the hammering that they received the last time they were in town.
The match is finely balanced at 3-3 and whomever scores first will need to preserve their advantage much better than they did in the first leg.