Real Madrid v 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 suggested the Madrid striker, who has scored 25 goals in 21 games for Madrid this season, is a major doubt due to an unspecified problem in his left leg.
It would be a huge blow for Alonso if the French captain misses out with pressure building on the Madrid boss following 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 woeful performance with nine men on the field after both Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were sent off.
Speculation suggests a defeat tomorrow could bring an end to his short tenure, especially with rumours of dressing room discontent showing no sign of abating.
Speaking this morning, Alonso tired to portray a picture of unity, telling reporters: “We are all in the same boat. We have to go through positive and negative times.
“We need to believe the next game is an opportunity and tomorrow we have a very exciting game for all of us. We need to keep our eyes open to have that energy so the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees.
“That emotional bond is very important tomorrow.”
Alonso is also confident he retains the backing of the board, adding: “Communication is constant. We have unity, we are all together in this, I have a good relationship with them.”
As a former Barcelona player and coach, 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 of Sunderland on Saturday.
The visitors will also have revenge on their minds having been knocked out of the competition by Madrid in the last two seasons
Real Madrid v Manchester City team news
In addition to Mbappe being a doubt, Madrid are also expected to 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 sidelined for City and it is highly unlikely Rodri will return.
Real Madrid v Man City predicted line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Asencio, Martinez, Rudiger, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Guler, Rodrigo, Vinicius Jr
Man City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Gvardiol, Dias, O’Reilly; González, Silva; Foden, Cherki, Doku; Haaland
How to watch Real Madrid v Man City: TV and online streams
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and the Discovery Plus app.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through Discovery Plus, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Stats for Real Madrid v Man City
- This will be the 15th time that Real Madrid and Manchester City have faced each other in the Champions League
- Guardiola has faced Real Madrid on 27 previous occasions, winning 48 percent of those matches (W13 D7 L7)
