Real Madrid, accustomed to the magic of Champions League nights at their stadium, will have to try away from home against Manchester City to get through to their second consecutive final, on Wednesday (3:00 p.m.) in the second leg of the semifinals.
‘Meringues’ and ‘Citizens’ they tied 1-1 in the first leg of the semifinals of the continental tournament last week at the Santiago Bernabéu, so what happens to the final will be decided at the Etihad Stadium, converted into a true fortress by City.
the men of Pep Guardiola They have only conceded one defeat and one draw in their fief this season, where their games count for victories since they made a draw with Everton on December 31.
The task seems difficult for the real Madrid, current European champion, who has never won in his four games at his rival’s stadium, but Luka Modric assured this Tuesday that “we have played this type of game many times. I see confidence and tranquility, full faith in us”.
“Full”
The technician Carlo Ancelotti He did not hesitate to rest men like Rodrygo, David Alaba, Karim Benzema and Antonio Rüdiger in Saturday’s league victory against Getafe (1-0), and saved Vinícius, Toni Kroos and Modric a few minutes, with his sights set on on Wednesday.
“I want to preserve the players who are tired,” Ancelotti admitted openly before the match, from which the young midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was hurt with a slight knee sprain, from which he has recovered.
The Frenchman is in Manchester as is Militao, available after being suspended in the first leg, so Ancelotti has all his figures.
“We reached the top because it is a game we’ve had in mind for a long time“, affirmed the Italian coach, for whom courage will be essential.
“On an individual and collective level, the two teams are similar, but courage makes the difference, knowing how to endure and suffer. Courage will make the difference“said Ancelotti, before a game in which City hopes to take revenge for last year’s elimination in the same round.
“Freedom of play”
“The draw at the Bernabéu was good, because at the Etihad we have a lot of confidence. Here we have very good results“Defender Kyle Walker said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“At home we feel free and we hope that tomorrow we will have that feeling of freedom of play”, added, for his part, his coach, Pep Guardiola.
In the Spanish capital, Rüdiger annulled Erling Haaland, but the Norwegian striker once again emerges as the great danger for City.
The Nordic striker couldn’t see the goal last Tuesday, but in his fief he is intractable, having scored 35 of the 52 goals he has accumulated this season with his team.
To help his gunner, Guardiola assured this Tuesday that they are going to “adjust things, change things, we have to generate more chances, for the ball to reach the forwards.”
“It’s nothing special, I’m not overthinking things, we are not going to change much, just a couple of things to make the game more fluid,” he added, rejecting tactical experiments.
“I have told the players to see it as a great opportunity, to take advantage of how lucky we are to be there. It depends on us, we have to be ourselves and win a game to be in the final ”, he concluded.
Probable lineups:
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Ruben Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundoğan, Grealish; Haaland. DT: Pep Guardiola.
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militão, Rüdiger, Alaba; Modric, Kroos, Camavinga; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Junior. DT: Carlo Ancelotti.
