After an absolute thriller at the Etihad last week, Real Madrid and Manchester City do it all again tonight at the Bernabeu in the Champions League.
It’s the second leg of the semi-final tie, with the sides playing for the right to face Liverpool in Paris at the end of the month.
City were on top for large periods of the first leg, taking a two-goal lead on three occasions, but Real did enough to stay in it and Karim Benzema’s panenka saw the match finish 4-3 to Pep Guardiola’s side.
Whether there is similar entertainment on show tonight remains to be seen, but with so much attacking talent on the pitch it seems reasonable to expect plenty more goals.
It’s a match-up between the two sides with completely contrasting European history – Real Madrid are the most successful club in the competition’s history, while City are still searching for their first Champions League success.
With James Robson in Madrid and kick-off at 8pm BST, follow all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below…
Live updates
First-leg recap…
A reminder of just how incredible last week’s first leg was. Seven goals, plenty of missed chances, some brilliant finishes, a panenka… it had it all.
More of the same tonight would be wonderful.
Prediction
Based on the first leg, which was more akin to a basketball match, predicting an exact scoreline between these two attacking powerhouses is a fool’s errand.
Last week’s contest was absorbing, chaotic and gloriously eventful, with seven goals scored when in reality it could and should have been well into double figures.
City will be kicking themselves that they couldn’t get the job done last week despite their hatfuls of chances, with Real always managing to somehow hang on and prevail in the end.
This truly could go either way, but we’re backing Guardiola’s men to narrowly progess in another high-octane affair and book a second consecutive final berth.
Man City to win, 3-2.
Alaba only fit enough for the bench for the hosts, so Nacho comes in as expected to partner Militao at the back.
Casemiro is back in midfield, with the other big decision that it’s Valverde starting instead of Rodrygo.
Real Madrid lineup
Starting XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Mendy, Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius
Subs: Lunin, Fuidias, Alaba, Vallejo, Asensio, Marcelo, Jovic, Vazquez, Ceballos, Rodrygo, Mariano, Camavinga
Man City team news
Kyle Walker could now play some part tonight, having resumed training for City yeserday.
Manager Pep Guardiola said he will make a late decision on his fitness.
“Kyle trained today and he will travel,” Guardiola said on Tuesday. “[On Wednesday] we will decide – he is three weeks without training but we are happy he is back.”
Defensive colleague John Stones will be assessed after remaining sidelined for the win over Leeds, having limped off last week against Madrid – starting at right-back – in the first half.
Guardiola made five changes to his first XI at Elland Road, with Stones, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez replaced by Joao Cancelo, Nathan Ake, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling.
Predicted Manchester City XI: Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko; Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden; Jesus
Real Madrid team news
David Alaba is once again facing a race against time to be fit after recovering from a hamstring injury to start in the first leg, only to suffer a setback and go off at half-time.
Carlo Ancelotti has suggested the centre-back won’t play, with Nacho expected to come into defence.
Casemiro is now fully fit, but Eden Hazard remains out as he recovers from an ankle operation and Gareth Bale missed the weekend’s title celebrations with back spasms.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Mendy; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Vinicius Jr, Benzema, Rodrygo.
How to watch Real Madrid vs Man City
TV channel: The semi-final second leg will be televised live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate, with coverage beginning at 7pm.
Live stream: Subscribers will also be able to watch the game online via the BT Sport website or app.
Live blog: You can also follow all the action as it unfolds on the night right here with us! James Robson will be providing expert analysis from Madrid.
Good evening!
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Real Madrid vs Manchester City in the Champions League!
It’s the second leg of the semi-final tie and it has a lot to live up to after last week’s fixture. City take a 4-3 lead to the Bernabeu after an incredible 90 minutes in Manchester.
Both sides know what is on offer – a final against Liverpool in Paris at the end of the month.
We’ll have all the latest updates and build-up ahead of kick-off, which comes at 8pm BST.
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