Manchester City and Real Madrid drew 1-1 in the first leg of the semi-finals of the continental tournament last week at the Santiago Bernabéu, so what goes to the final will be decided at the Etihad Stadium, transformed into a veritable fortress by City.
The match is played from 4pm at Etihad Stadium and is televised by ESPN and Fox Sports.
City go into the match buoyed by a 3-0 win against Everton on Sunday, in which Haaland came back and scored a goal and Ilkay Gundogan scored a brace. Both are emerging as undisputed starters in the match.
Pep Guardiola’s men have suffered just one defeat and one draw in their domain this season, where they count their matches as victories since they drew with Everton on 31 December.
Real Madrid, accustomed to the magic of European nights in their stadium, must try to do so away against Manchester City to qualify for their second consecutive Champions League final, in the second leg of the semi-finals.
The task promises to be difficult for Real Madrid, reigning European champions, who have never won in the four matches played in their rival’s stadium.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti did not hesitate to rest men like Rodrygo, David Alaba, Karim Benzema and Antonio Rüdiger in Saturday’s league win against Getafe (1-0), and saved a few minutes for Vinicius, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric with an eye to Wednesday.
= Probable formations =
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Ruben Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland. DT: Pep Guardiola.
Real Madrid: courteous; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Kroos, Camavinga; Rodrygo (or Valverde), Benzema, Vinicio. DT: Carlo Ancelotti.
Referee: Szymon Marciniak
Stadium: Etihad stadium.
Now: 16.00.
TVs: ESPN and Fox Sports.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.