On the brink of elimination, Manchester City are in desperate need of a miraculous comeback against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday evening.
Pep Guardiola’s men were ambushed at the Bernabéu, completely outclassed by a brilliant first-half hat-trick from Federico Valverde. The 3–0 defeat could in fact have been worse had Gianluigi Donnarumma not saved Vinicius Junior’s penalty to give his side some semblance of hope.
Now with their backs against the wall, Man City have a mountain to climb to keep their Champions League hopes alive. It won’t help matters that the hosts are coming off what could be a Premier League title-deciding blunder against West Ham at the weekend.
Guardiola Looks to Rectify His Mistakes
Guardiola will feel compelled to make some much-needed changes to the XI he rolled out in Spain, starting with his backline. Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico O’Reilly were shredded down either flank, leaving the door open for Matheus Nunes and Rayan Aït-Nouri to get the nod this time around.
Savinho’s struggles were on full display as well, and Man City cannot afford another bleak performance up top. Rayan Cherki is the obvious choice to fill in, especially since the hosts need to score at least three goals to even give themselves a fighting chance.
Despite a flurry of solid performances as of late, Omar Marmoush will still likely be limited to a substitute’s role, overlooked in favor of Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland, though the two presumed starters have just one goal between them in their last four appearances.
Long-term absentee Joško Gvardiol will miss the blockbuster clash, as will Rico Lewis, who is nursing an ankle injury.
- ⚠️ Key absentees, doubts: Joško Gvardiol, Rico Lewis.
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-1-3-2
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Man City (4-1-3-2)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—The Italian needs to keep a clean sheet to give his side a fighting chance to advance to the quarterfinals, but he has failed to do so in his last three outings.
RB: Matheus Nunes—Khusanov was out of his depth going against Vinicius Junior in the first leg, opening the door for Nunes to slot back into the XI to try and lock down the speedy Brazilian.
CB: Rúben Dias—After a much-needed rest at the weekend, Dias returns to his place alongside Guéhi in central defense. The Portugal international needs to better command and organize his backline in the second leg.
CB: Marc Guéhi—The winter signing will have redemption on the mind after floundering in his Champions League debut. His job could be even harder this time around, though, if Kylian Mbappé features in any capacity.
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri—Aït-Nouri is in line to retain his place on the left flank after Nico O’Reilly’s nightmare performance at the Bernabéu.
DM: Rodri—All eyes will be on the Spaniard as rumors continue to link Rodri with a move to Real Madrid this summer. The Ballon d’Or winner was about the only player in sky blue to put in a decent shift in the first leg.
CM: Rayan Cherki—Man City will need Cherki’s creativity to dig themselves out of a three-goal deficit. The Cityzens looked lost without his playmaking in their last two fixtures in which he only featured off the bench.
CM: Bernardo Silva—Even at 31, the Portugal international continues to be an irreplaceable part of Guardiola’s lineup. Silva’s goal at the weekend saved the team from complete despair in London.
CM: Jérémy Doku—The winger had at least two men marking him every time he touched the ball in Spain, and he is likely in for the same treatment in the second leg. Doku is still searching for his first goal since November.
ST: Antoine Semenyo—Semenyo’s blistering start to his career at Man City has cooled off in recent weeks, but he should have better luck creating more opportunities now that Ferland Mendy is out injured.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City XI vs. Real Madrid: Guardiola Searches for Winning Formula—Injury News, Predicted Lineup.
