Man City vs Real Madrid UCL semi-final preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups
Man City and Real Madrid meet in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday 17 May.
A stunning strike from Kevin De Bruyne earned Manchester City a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg, after Vinicius Junior had scored from nearly the exact same spot on the Bernabeu pitch before the break.
Man City vs Real Madrid at a glance
When: Wednesday 17 May (21:00 CET kick-off)
Where: City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
What: Champions League semi-final second leg
How it stands: First leg 1-1
What do you need to know?
Advantage City. Maybe. The first leg was more edge-of-the-seat thriller than the all-out-action of last season’s semi-final, when Madrid staged a remarkable second-leg comeback at the Santiago Bernabéu to beat Pep Guardiola’s men 6-5 on aggregate. Crucially, perhaps, this time the second leg takes place at the City of Manchester Stadium, where the home side is on a 14-match unbeaten run with a combined score of 49-7.
By contrast, Madrid has only twice progressed on the nine previous occasions they failed to win the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie at home. Ominously for City, both were in Manchester, against United in 2000 and 2013. Karim Benzema was an unused substitute in 2013, and while he and Erling Haaland were uncharacteristically subdued in Madrid, the attacking talent in both sides could be unleashed this time.
Possible line-ups
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Rúben Dias, Akanji; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gündoğan; Bernardo Silva, Haaland, Grealish
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Alaba, Camavinga; Modrić, Kroos; Valverde; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinícius Júnior
Expert predictions
Matthew Howarth, Man City reporter
A draw was probably a fair result after both sides contributed to an edgy, enthralling and thoroughly entertaining first leg. The game could have gone either way, both goalkeepers pulling off important saves. City will enjoy plenty of possession and opportunities in Manchester, but it will count for nothing unless they can keep the likes of Vinícius Júnior and Benzema quiet at the other end. It’s impossible to tell which way the tie will swing next.
Graham Hunter, Real Madrid reporter
Whether you were Madrid, City or neutral, the first leg will have lit up every sense in your body. Nerve-shredding at times and blessed with utter brilliance at others, it could have been directed by Alfred Hitchcock, such was the tension. Madrid weren’t at their sharpest or most intense, but that goal! From one penalty area to the other in about 12 seconds and one of the greatest goals you’ll ever see. Bring on Manchester.
What the coaches say
Pep Guardiola, Man City manager: “Now it’s like a play-off. We can defend better in some departments and maybe we can attack a little differently. Alaba and Rüdiger were so close to Erling, so there were very few spaces to find. Maybe we can adjust a couple of things.”
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: “We had good control of the [first leg]. When City had lots of possession we were in control defensively, then when we started to play we caused difficulties.”
