Actual Madrid enter Wednesday’s Champions League play-off second leg with a 3-2 benefit to protect as Manchester Metropolis purpose to mount an unlikely comeback.
The Cityzens appeared destined to take a 2-1 lead into the return fixture however collapsed late on and allowed Madrid to steal a 3-2 win on the Etihad final week.
Pep Guardiola’s facet impressed in swathes through the first leg earlier than their well-documented frailties reared their ugly head once more, however they do head into Wednesday’s bout off the again of an Omar Marmoush-inspired 4-0 beatdown of Newcastle on Saturday.
Madrid’s voodoo magic on this competitors labored wonders but once more in Manchester, however they continued to stutter domestically on the weekend. Osasuna is a difficult place to go to, and Carlo Ancelotti’s facet have been held to a 1-1 draw after Jude Bellingham was despatched off for supposedly foul-mouthing referee Jose Munuera Montero.
Bellingham, nevertheless, will likely be out there for Metropolis’s go to because the 15-time winners purpose to ebook their place within the spherical of 16.
Right here is 90min’s information to the sport.
Actual Madrid vs Man Metropolis head-to-head outcomes (final 5 video games)
Present kind (all competitions)
|
Actual Madrid |
Man Metropolis |
|---|---|
|
Osasuna 1-1 Actual Madrid – 15/02/25 |
Man Metropolis 4-0 Newcastle – 15/02/25 |
|
Man Metropolis 2-3 Actual Madrid – 11/02/25 |
Man Metropolis 2-3 Actual Madrid – 11/02/25 |
|
Actual Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid – 08/02/25 |
Leyton Orient 1-2 Man Metropolis – 08/02/25 |
|
Leganes 2-3 Actual Madrid – 05/02/25 |
Arsenal 5-1 Man Metropolis – 02/02/25 |
|
Espanyol 1-0 Actual Madrid – 01/02/25 |
Man Metropolis 3-1 Membership Brugge – 29/01/25 |
|
Nation |
TV channel/stay stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports activities 1 |
|
United States |
Paramount+, fuboTV, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, TUDN USA, UniMás |
|
Canada |
DAZN Canada |
The hosts have gotten more healthy because the first leg, with Antonio Rudiger essentially the most notable star returning to Ancelotti’s matchday squad. The German has been out for a few weeks with a muscle harm, however he is returned to coaching forward of Wednesday’s recreation and needs to be concerned from the outset.
Lucas Vazquez can also be again in rivalry, however the boss has confirmed that he will not be in Wednesday’s beginning lineup.
David Alaba is closing in on a return. Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal are long-term absentees. Jude Bellingham’s home suspension doesn’t carry over into the Champions League.
Actual Madrid predicted lineup vs Man Metropolis (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Camavinga, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.
Whereas Metropolis will likely be with out Manuel Akanji for weeks because of the harm he sustained within the first leg which pressured him off at half-time, they’ve acquired a number of boosts on the health entrance. Jack Grealish, Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias are all again in coaching having missed Saturday’s win over Newcastle.
Dias ought to come straight again into Guardiola’s XI, doubtlessly partnering John Stones at centre-back.
Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva additionally earned breathers on the weekend and are contenders to make returns, whereas Omar Marmoush is a certainty to begin after his latest hat-trick heroics. Erling Haaland is predicted to be match regardless of tweaking his knee on Saturday.
Man Metropolis predicted lineup vs Actual Madrid (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Bernardo; Savinho, De Bruyne, Marmoush; Haaland.
This isn’t a supreme Madrid outfit, however they’re superstar-laden, and though Metropolis carried out fairly nicely final week, the guests scythed by way of the Cityzens after they moved by way of the gears.
Superior Metropolis groups have succumbed on the Bernabeu, with their solely triumph on this floor arriving simply earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic when Kevin De Bruyne stole the present. Thus, it is an enormous ask for this flawed iteration to rock up within the Spanish capital and win.
Each groups will relinquish management and certain facilitate a little bit of chaos – a recreation state which doubtlessly favours the hosts. Anticipate extra targets in a house win.
Prediction: Actual Madrid 4-2 Man Metropolis
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