Real Madrid vs Man City preview
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso desperately needs a win against Manchester City tomorrow – but he may have to achieve it without Kylian Mbappe.
Reports in Spain this morning suggest the Madrid striker, who has scored 25 goals in 21 games for Madrid this season, is a major doubt due to an unspecified left leg problem.
It would be a blow for Alonso if the French captain missed the pressure on the Madrid boss after a run of two wins in seven games. The latest defeat came on Sunday with Celta Vigo winning 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and the hosts ending a dismal performance with nine men on the pitch after Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were sent off.
Speculation suggests a defeat tomorrow could end his short tenure, especially as rumors of discontent in the dressing room show no signs of abating.
Speaking this morning, Alonso was at pains to paint a picture of unity, telling reporters: “We are all in this together. We have to go through positive and negative moments.
“We have to believe that the next match is an opportunity and tomorrow we have a very exciting match for all of us. We have to keep our eyes open to have that energy so that the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees.
“This emotional connection is very important tomorrow.”
Alonso is also confident that he retains the support of the board, adding: “The communication is constant. We are united, we are all together in this, I have a good relationship with them.”
As a former Barcelona player and manager, Pep Guardiola will be keen to add to Madrid’s misery and City will arrive in the Spanish capital on the back of three successive Premier League wins, the latest being a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland on Saturday.
The visitors will also have revenge on their minds after being knocked out of the competition by Madrid for the past two seasons.
Team news for Real Madrid vs Man City
In addition to the doubt over Mbappe, Madrid should also be without Dean Huijsen and Eduardo Camavinga. Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy are definitely absent.
Madrid’s defensive woes could see a first start for highly-rated young centre-back Joan Martinez.
Mateo Kovacic remains away from City and Rodri is highly unlikely to return.
Predicted line-ups for Real Madrid vs Man City
Real Madrid: Courtois; Asencio, Martinez, Rudiger, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Guler, Rodrigo, Vinicius Jr.
Man City: donor; Nunes, Gvardiol, Dias, O’Reilly; Gonzalez, Silva; Foden, Cherki, Doku; Haaland
How to watch Real Madrid vs Man City: TV and online streams
Kick-off on Wednesday will be at 8:00 p.m. GMT (3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is provided on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and the Discovery Plus app.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 per month through Discovery Plus, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a huge range of devices including smart TVs and games consoles.
Stats for Real Madrid vs. Man City
- This will be the 15th time that Real Madrid and Manchester City will face each other in the Champions League.
- Guardiola has faced Real Madrid on 27 occasions, winning 48 percent of those matches (W13, D7, L7)
