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No club has won more European Cup/Champions League titles than Real Madrid. And that’s a record that Alvaro Arbeloa would love to extend – the under-fire head coach might need to in order to save his job.
Real are adrift of Barcelona at the summit of La Liga, losing back-to-back games against Osasuna and Getafe recently. They also needed a 94th-minute winner to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 on Friday.
Having finished ninth in the Champions League table – and needing an ill-tempered play-off victory over Benfica to reach this point, this is not the all-conquering Madrid outfit we’ve come to expect.
The diagnosis is eerily similar for Man City. They too are now adrift of Arsenal at the top of the English Premier League table, while mere goal difference separated them, in eighth, from Real Madrid in the Champions League table.
If this is to be Pep Guardiola’s swansong in Manchester, improvement may well be needed if he is to sign off with a major trophy this term.
Real Madrid v Man City key information
• Date: Wednesday, March 11th
• Kick-off time: 20:00 GMT
• Venue: Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid
• Referee: Maurizio Mariani
• TV channels: TNT Sports (UK)
• Odds: RMA (5/2) - Draw 27/10 - MCI (19/20)
Real Madrid team news
The pressure mounting on Arbeloa is not likely to be helped by a lengthy injury list that will hamper his planning for this huge game.
Rodrygo is definitely out after tearing his ACL, while Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos all face a race to be fit – it’s a race they appear to be losing.
Kylian Mbappe has suffered a knee strain and has missed Real’s last few games, while David Alaba was substituted at half-time against Getafe with a calf issue.
Real Madrid predicted lineup v Man City, (4-3-3)
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Mendy; Tchouameni, Valverde, Camavinga; Guler, Garcia, Vincius Jr
Man City team news
Guardiola will be pleased that he has a strong squad to call upon, with Josko Gvardiol (ankle) the only long-term absentee.
Mateo Kovacic is working his way back to full fitness, while Nico O’Reilly – who missed the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest after suffering an ankle injury – featured in the FA Cup win over Newcastle on Saturday.
Guardiola’s team selection for that cup contest was instructive – a number of fringe players started ahead of his favourites, with Omar Marmoush and Jeremy Doku both performing well. However, that may not be enough for them to get the nod for the trip to Madrid.
City have also been bolstered by the addition of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to their Champions League squad. The January signings are free to play after a revised squad list was submitted to UEFA.
Man City predicted lineup v Real Madrid, (4-1-4-1)
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait Nouri; Rodri; Cherki, Silva, O’Reilly, Semenyo; Haaland
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
For UK viewers, TNT Sports is the home of live Champions League games on TV.
The Real Madrid v Manchester City game will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1. Subscribers to Discovery+ can also catch the live stream via their dedicated app.
Head-to-head record
The paths of these two continental giants have crossed multiple times in recent seasons.
They met as recently as December in the Champions League initial phase, with goals from Erling Haaland and O’Reilly cancelling out Rodrygo’s opener at the Bernabeu.
Real and Man City also collided in the play-off round of the 2024/25 Champions League last February, with Madrid running out 6-3 winners on aggregate.
The stakes were even higher in April 2024 when they met in the Champions League quarter finals. A titanic tie ended 4-4 on aggregate at the end of normal time, before Antonio Rudiger struck the winning penalty of the shootout to send Real through – they went on to lift the trophy.
All told, the head-to-head record reads six wins to Real Madrid, five victories to Man City and four draws.
Odds for Real Madrid v Man City
Real Madrid are the underdogs on home soil at 5/2 with bet365. A draw is priced at 27/10, with a Man City win at 19/20.
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.