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Manchester City vs Real Madrid live updates: Real win penalty shootout after 4-4 Champions League draw
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Result: Real Madrid beat Manchester City on penalties
Guardiola on Walker: He's really important to us
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Pep Guardiola has just been speaking to TNT Sports and he cut a relaxed figure - albeit with the sense there is a whole lot going on under the surface.
Here's what he said about tonight's game and Kyle Walker's return to his XI:
💬 "Every team wants to play at home, especially in this competition. It'll be impossible to impose our game for 90 minutes, like it will be for them to impose their game on us. So the rest we will see.
"Kyle’s pace will be important because of the threat down the sides. He's our captin, he's really important for us and he feels good. That's why he's playing.
"In this competition against that team, we know we will have to do close to our best performance."
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Real will lean on Lunin and Rudiger
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Madrid will be looking to Antonio Rudiger again tonight.
The German centre-back has been in fine form this season and has stopped Erling Haaland from scoring in the three games they have played against each other. Surely he can't make it a fourth?
It's also a big night for Andriy Lunin, Madrid's reserve goalkeeper who has established himself as a regular this campaign in Thibaut Courtois' absence.
Lunin has been largely faultless while covering for the Belgian, but was caught out for Bernardo Silva's second-minute free-kick last week. Los Blancos will need him on top form tonight.
Probabilities are far from certainties
Opta
It's worth a reminder of these before kick-off tonight - Opta's probability modelling for the latter stages of this year's Champions League at the start of the week. In other words, before the quarter-final second legs began last night.
You'll see the teams at the bottom of the table - Paris Saint-German and Borussia Dortmund - were the two clubs to make the semi-finals 24 hours ago, knocking out Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. What a wonderful night of football it was too.
So in short, here's for another night like that one - and one equal to that drama.
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Stones is a miss, but Walker changes things
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No John Stones is the big news from a Man City point of view, but the fact that Kyle Walker is back should help them.
Having Walker on the pitch is a little like having Erling Haaland in these games: the big striker simply has to exist to attract men to him, changing the opposition’s strategy as he goes.
With Walker’s pace, Real Madrid will surely be more wary of playing the ball in behind like they did so much in the first half last week.
They’ll come up with something different no doubt, but Walker changes the dynamic in that sense.
Ancelotti wary of Haaland's 'dangerous' qualities
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Speaking of Erling Haaland, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti tackled the subject of Manchester City's misfiring striker ahead of tonight' game.
I say misfiring... He's currently joint-top scorer in the Premier League (20 goals), while only Harry Kane (7) and Kylian Mbappe (8) having scored more than him (6) in the Champions League. Anyway, here's Carlo:
💬 “If we talk about individual players, Haaland is still one of the most dangerous players Manchester City have. If he didn’t stand out in the first half (of the first leg), that’s our defensive merit. He’s still a very dangerous player.
“There are many teams in Europe who are very strong and can fight for this title. In the last three years we’ve faced City and they’ve been spectacular games. This will be the same.
“We need a complete game, to attack well and defend well, to not lose the ball when it’s not necessary. It has to be a very complete game, not focused on just one aspect. We have to focus on all the aspects.”
Erling Haaland needs to be at his best tonight
There has been a lot of focus on Erling Haaland’s link-up play recently. While Roy Keane’s “League Two player” assessment was over the top, it's true he has struggled of late.
It should not be a surprise he struggled again in the first leg against Antonio Rudiger, given that's what happened in the same fixture a year ago amid one of the most impressive individual seasons anybody has ever had. If it could happen then, it can happen now.
But it remains the case Haaland is an enigma in the hold-up stakes.
His youth coaches talk about how he was a much smaller boy in his youth and had to get the edge over defenders by honing his movement. His physique kicked in later on and that is why he is more of a poacher, despite his huge frame.
That also helps to explain why he is not the best hold-up man: it is not something he grew up doing.
But on nights like these, City could really do with him making more stick. In Madrid, he did some impressive chasing back in the second half and was frustrated not to get some passes in behind when the rare chances arose, but City need more from him when the chances are not flowing.
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Manchester City are in the house
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The Manchester City squad have arrived in style.
Some trivia for you: Manchester City have won their past three home games against Real Madrid, all under Pep Guardiola (2-1 in 2020, 4-3 in 2022 and 4-0 in 2023).
The only previous manager to win four consecutive home games against Real in the Champions League is Ottmar Hitzfeld. He did that while in charge of Bayern Munich between 2000 and 2002.
Real need Nacho at his best on recall
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As expected, Nacho comes in at centre-back for Real Madrid after Aurelien Tchouameni picked up a third yellow card of the competition in the first leg against Man City.
The club captain has endured a mixed campaign — Carlo Ancelotti's side need him at his best tonight.
Otherwise it's as you were for the visitors. Will Ancelotti play Rodrygo on the left and Vinicius Junior through the middle, as he did at the Bernabeu?
It worked well then, but City may be wise to it now.
As for the subs benches...
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Here's how Ancelotti and Guardiola will get to look to from the bench tonight:
- Man City: Ortega (GK), Carson (GK), Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Doku, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunez, Bobb, Lewis.
- Real Madrid: Kepa (GK), Fran, Militao, Modric, Joselu, Lucas, Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Arda Guler.
I'll let you decide which bench is stronger.
TEAM NEWS: One change for Real Madrid
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Real Madrid confirmed their XI about an hour ago, which they like doing. Here's a reminder of who Carlo Ancelotti has called on:
- Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho (C), Mendy, Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius.
That's one enforced change, with Nacho coming in for the suspended Tchouameni. Both subs benches to follow...
TEAM NEWS: City's big-hitters have made it
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Here we are then. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City XI to face Real Madrid:
- Ederson; Walker (C), Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol, Rodri, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Foden, Grealish, Haaland.
Everyone makes it who counts, looking at that XI - including Kyle Walker who captains the side.
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Bernardo: The double treble is City’s 'motivation'
Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has been talking about his side's inspiration and motivation ahead of tonight - in other words, winning a second consecutive treble is the club. Blimey. Here's Bernardo:
💬 “We want to create the legacy. We want two Trebles in a row. We want four Premier Leagues in a row. We want the Champions League twice in a row.
“If we win two trebles in a row, that would be legacy. In one week we could be out of all the competitions. But we are fighting.”
You've got to love that, whether you feel it's bravado or confidence.
Will tonight be another goal-fest? The stats suggest otherwise
The expected goals (xG) step graph from the last match between these two sides illustrates the quality of chances that fell to each team throughout the contest, helping to highlight the clinical edge of both sides in front of goal.
Six scored from a cumulative expected tally of 1.5 — this was a goal-fest all about the goalscorers.
Manchester City actually set up fairly conservatively and Pep Guardiola will be determined for his side to enjoy more control this evening.
And then there was last week...
Jude Bellingham's fifth appearance against Manchester City came for Real Madrid in that 3-3 first-leg draw at the Bernabeu last week.
There were no goals or assists for the English midfielder, nor the taste of victory.
But given his impact and influence since joining Real in the summer - and his tendency to get among the goals when facing City - who would bet against him being due a big moment tonight, back at the Etihad?