2 days ago
35 ARTICLE AD
Live Blog
Follow all the action as Manchester City must come from behind to beat Real Madrid to remain in the Champions League.
The Citizens trail the reigning champions 3-2 after a spectacular late collapse at the Etihad in the first leg of their knockout play-off.
They led heading into the closing stages thanks to an Erling Haaland double, but a couple of poor defensive errors allowed the visitors to flip the match with Jude Bellingham scoring a last-gasp winner.
Since then, City have thrashed Newcastle, so their confidence should be high again, but it remains a monster task to turn the tie around.
talkSPORT commentary: Live stream HERE, app HERE.Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Valverde, Rudiger, Asencio, Mendy, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vini Jr., Mbappe.Subs: Lunin, Mestre, Alaba, Vallejo, Garcia, Vazquez, Guler, Endrick, Modric, Camavinga.Man City XI: Ederson, Khusanov, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden, Savinho, Marmoush.Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Ake, Kovacic, Haaland, Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Nunes, Lewis, McAtee.You can follow all of the action in our live blog below...
KICK-OFF! Real Madrid 0-0 (3-2) Man City
1' We're underway at the Bernabeu!
Can Man City pull off an incredible comeback?
Or will Real Madrid send them out of Europe?
We're hopefully in for another thriller tonight.
Stick with us for regular updates of all the action...
talkSPORT coverage
We're 10 minutes away from kick-off at the Bernabeu.
Here's a reminder that you listen to live coverage of the huge knockout phase second leg on talkSPORT 2.
Commentary from Madrid will be coming from Ian Danter and England icon Stuart Pearce.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
Match facts
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has scored more UEFA Champions League goals against Manchester City than he has versus any other opponent (3). It’s also the joint-highest number of goals an English player has scored against an English opponent in the competition (Frank Lampard also 3 vs Liverpool).Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola will be the first managers to face each other on 10 occasions in the UEFA Champions League, eight of which have come while in charge of their current clubs, Real Madrid and Manchester City. Ancelotti has won four of the nine meetings so far (D3 L2), while he’s never lost at home to the Spaniard (W2 D2).Manchester City have lost each of their last three away games in the UEFA Champions League. Only once previously have they last four in a row in the competition (under Roberto Mancini between 2011 and 2012), while this is already Pep Guardiola’s longest losing streak away from home in the Champions League.Disagreement
Despite Pep Guardiola's pessimism surrounding Man City's chances, Carlo Ancelotti believes Real still have a tough task.
"I am surprised [at Guardiola's comments] because I think that City is still a fantastic team," Real Madrid boss Ancelotti said.
"They suffered a lot with the injury to Rodri, they have difficulty in defence because Rodri is a fantastic player to help the back four.
"I still think that they are a fantastic team. It is not true [that Man City only have a one per cent chance of getting through]. I think he said that, but I think they have a lot more chance.
"We understand that it will be a difficult game, an entertaining game, but no one can know now what is going to happen."
'We arrive at one percent'
On the game itself, Pep Guardiola has admitted his side have a very small chance of beating Real Madrid.
The Man City boss said: "The margin to win in Bernabeu in that position, everybody knows that if you ask before the game, the percentage to go through, I don’t know, we arrive at one per cent, it will be minimal.
"But as much as you have a chance, we will try, that’s for sure.
"If you tell me, if you perform like [Saturday], we finished 22nd in the Champions League, of course not, we would have finished higher.
"But the reality, we have been really, really poor in performance in the results this season.
“And just for one game, that today, played really good, and it’s not going to change the opinion, the reality, the team, it is right now, and we are still not good in terms of day by day.
"But of course, it’s better to travel to Madrid with this result than imagining defeat in the last minutes, so at the end, okay, the chance is, minor, because the result was not good, five minutes ago, with 2-1, it will be different, but with 2-3, the chances is low.
“But as much as you have a chance, we are going to take it, and we’ll see what happens."
Pep explains
Man City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland is on the bench due to an injury.
After picking up a knock to his knee at the weekend against Newcastle, he's not fit enough to start.
When asked how close Haaland was to playing from the off, Guardiola told TNT Sports: "Not close enough.
"He trained a little bit yesterday but spoke this morning and said he doesn't feel good so we chose another one."
Match facts
Real Madrid’s 3-2 win in the first leg against Man City was the 40th time they’ve won the first leg of a European knockout stage tie away from home – they’ve progressed from 37 of the previous 39, failing only against Odense Boldklub (1994-95 UEFA Cup) and Ajax (2018-19 UEFA Champions League).Man City’s 3-2 defeat in the first leg was the fifth time they’ve lost the first leg of a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie, going on to be eliminated on each of the previous four occasions.Real Madrid have lost just one of their six UEFA Champions League home games against Manchester City (W3 D2), going down 2-1 in the round of 16 in 2019-20.Manchester City have lost nine of their 27 UEFA Champions League meetings with Spanish opponents, almost twice as many defeats than against sides from any other nation (5 vs French and German teams). Indeed, their nine losses vs Spanish teams accounts for 28% of their overall defeats in the competition (9/32).How come Bellingham can play?
Jude Bellingham received a two-match ban earlier today, following a red card row that has dominated headlines in Spain.
LaLiga official Jose Munuera Montero dismissed the Englishman after an on-field altercation between the pair during a 1-1 draw with Osasuna on Sunday.
Montero accused Bellingham of saying 'f*** you' to him, despite the midfielder insisting he had instead said 'f*** off'.
The 21-year-old later described the incident as a 'miscommunication', and insisted he had no intention of insulting the match official.
However, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have chosen to punish Bellingham anyway after judging that he displayed 'contemptuous or inconsiderate attitudes towards referees, officials or sports authorities'.
So how come he can play today?
Well, it's because the ban is only for domestic games in Spain, meaning he is still available to feature in Europe.
Streak over...
Erling Haaland had started all 34 Premier League and Champions League games for Man City this season before tonight.
This is such a rare decision made by Pep Guardiola.
It'll be interesting to hear why he's left him on the bench.
Has he picked up a knock?
Haaland appeared to suffer a knee issue against Newcastle at the weekend and it may still be impacting him.
Or is he being rested for a huge clash against Liverpool in the Premier League this Sunday afternoon?
Haaland on bench
Wow, now this is unexpected!
Erling Haaland is on the bench for Man City.
Omar Marmoush will lead the line instead at the Bernabeu, with Savinho and Phil Foden in behind.
Kevin De Bruyne is also a substitute.
Pep Guardiola has made five changes from the first leg, with Haaland, De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji replaced.
Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ilkay Gundogan, Marmoush and Foden come in to start.
Man City XI: Ederson, Khusanov, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden, Savinho, Marmoush.
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Ake, Kovacic, Haaland, Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Nunes, Lewis, McAtee.
Eyeing a milestone
Erling Haaland is just one goal away from his 50th in the Champions League, and he's incredibly only played 48 times.
It is a brilliant rate of goalscoring from the Norwegian in supposedly the hardest competition in the world.
However, the Man City superstar has made it look so easy, and he could well hit 50 this evening.
Haaland will be hoping he can score at least one at the Bernabeu as part of what would be a famous City victory.
Certainly, at this moment in time, that would probably mean more to him than this impressive personal milestone.
Real team news
Real Madrid's team is in for tonight's game!
They have made one change from the first leg, welcoming former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger back from injury.
He takes his place at centre-back, allowing Aurelien Tchouameni to move forward into a midfield role.
Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo all start again and will provide a major threat to Man City.
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Valverde, Rudiger, Asencio, Mendy, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vini Jr., Mbappe.
Subs: Lunin, Mestre, Alaba, Vallejo, Garcia, Vazquez, Guler, Endrick, Modric, Camavinga.
Huge night
Hello and welcome to talkSPORT.com's live blog of Real Madrid vs Manchester City in the Champions League.
The two European giants meet for the second leg of their blockbuster knockout phase play-off tie.
Man City trail the reigning champions 3-2 after a spectacular late collapse at the Etihad in the first leg of their play-off.
City led heading into the closing stages thanks to an Erling Haaland double, but a couple of poor defensive errors allowed the visitors to flip the match.
First, Brahim Diaz equalised after a mistake by Ederson before Vinicius Junior beat Rico Lewis to a bouncing ball and Jude Bellingham was on hand to tap in.
Since then, City have thrashed Newcastle 4-0, with Omar Marmoush grabbing a hat-trick, so their confidence should be high again.
But Carlo Ancelotti's men don't often lose at home.
