Manchester City visit Santiago Bernabeu as they face Real Madrid on Thursday for the return leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals, hoping to make their way into the finals after a thrilling 4-3 win over Los Blancos in the first leg.
Pep Guardiola’s side look confident going into the match with an emphatic 4-0 win over Leeds United in their Premier League matchup.
Team News
The Sky Blues remain without Kyle Walker, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, along with John stones, who was called off the pitch in the first half against Los Blancos in the first leg.
Pep Guardiola will probably opt for a 4-3-3 formation with several tweaks from the last game as he wishes to triumph over the Spanish giants.
4-3-3 Manchester City Predicted Lineup Vs Real Madrid
Defence
Ederson is expected to start in goal for the upcoming away encounter. The Brazilian shot-stopper would hope to put up a strong performance against Madrid’s attack. The French striker Karim Benzema would however be difficult to restrain.
Dias has been a consistent performer for the Mancunian giants in defence, and along with Laporte, the duo would likely form the centre half partnership at the backline.
Full-back Cancelo could feature alongside Zinchenko, and the duo will look to operate down the right and left-hand sides, stretching the opposition’s defence.
Midfield
Rodri would be playing in the holding position over the central midfield, tasked with shielding the backline.
Kevin De Bruyne should slot into the attacking midfield position along with Bernardo Silva, where they might fancy creating opportunities for the forwards, completing the midfield trio.
Gundogan and Fernandinho will be seen on the bench, and they will be substituted if needed in the latter half.
Forward
Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden might take up the wide positions, playing down the right and left wings, respectively. The duo would be determined to engineer some clear-cut goal-scoring chances.
The Sky Blues’ attack will be spearheaded by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian striker would be taking the responsibility of finding the back of the net, looking to create trouble for Madrid’s backline. The Spanish side has conceded ten goals in the last five matches across all competitions.
