Good evening everybody and welcome to another MARCA in English live blog, this time taking you through the Champions League playoff clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City from the Etihad Stadium.
The two sides have developed a fierce rivalry in recent seasons, having met in the knockout stages of the last three campaigns. However, City‘s inconsistent group stage performance has resulted in an earlier-than-expected showdown against the 15-time European champions.
Pep Guardiola‘s side narrowly avoided an embarrassing early exit, securing their place in the knockout round with a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge on the final matchday. They finished 22nd in the overall standings, setting up this high-profile clash. Meanwhile, Real Madrid also had a slow start to their campaign but recovered with key wins over RB Salzburg and Brest, finishing 11th in the standings.
At home, City have maintained a strong record, defeating Chelsea, Club Brugge, Salford City, and West Ham United, scoring at least three goals in each match. Another victory at the Etihad would see Guardiola‘s team win five consecutive home matches for the first time since 2023.
After suffering three defeats in their first five matches, their place in the knockout round was uncertain. However, wins over Atalanta, RB Salzburg, and Brest saw them finish just one point outside the top eight. Their domestic form has been mixed, with a 3-0 win over Brest followed by a win, a draw, and a defeat across LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. Their recent 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid saw them dominate the second half but fail to find a winner.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid LIVE: Latest updates
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Real Madrid XI
Manchester City vs Real Madrid possible teams
A major concern for Carlo Ancelotti heading into the Etihad clash is Madrid’s defensive crisis. Lucas Vazquez is ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and David Alaba are also unavailable. This means Aurelien Tchouameni will be forced to play at centre-back alongside Raul Asencio.
Additionally, several key players are at risk of suspension, including Jude Bellingham, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Endrick, and Tchouameni, who will all miss the second leg if they receive a booking. Ancelotti himself is also one yellow card away from a suspension.
City face injury concerns of their own, as Nico Gonzalez was forced off during their FA Cup match against Leyton Orient. He joins Oscar Bobb, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku, and Ederson on the injury list, while Rodri remains sidelined with a long-term ACL injury.
Manchester City possible starting XI: Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland
Real Madrid possible starting XI: Courtois; Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Camavinga, Modric; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe
Where to watch Manchester City vs Real Madrid?
For fans in the United Kingdom, Manchester City vs Real Madrid can be seen on Amazon Prime Video. Fans in Ireland can tune in via RTE, Virgin and Livescore.
US-based fans will be able to see Manchester City vs Real Madrid on CBS and TUDN.
What time does Manchester City vs Real Madrid start?
Manchester City vs Real Madrid is a 21:00 CET kick-off, which is local time in Spain. That means fans in the UK and Ireland can watch the game at 20:00 GMT.
Fans in the USA can tune in to watch Manchester City vs Real Madrid at 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT.
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Man City XI