Manchester City hosts Real Madrid in a crucial UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday, with both teams facing selection dilemmas. Pep Guardiola’s squad is dealing with players out of form, while Carlo Ancelotti is struggling to cope with injuries.
Here are the predicted lineups for both teams:
**Manchester City:**
Goalkeeper: Ederson (likely to start if fit)
Defenders: Akanji, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol
Midfielders: Kovacic, Gonzalez
Forwards: Foden, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Haaland
Ederson will likely start in goal over Ortega, and the back four is set with four center backs across the line. Akanji will face a tough task on the right side to stop Vinicius.
The midfield trio of Foden, De Bruyne, and Silva could start underneath Haaland, while Doku and Grealish are options off the bench.
**Real Madrid:**
Goalkeeper: Courtois
Defenders: Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy
Midfielders: Modric, Ceballos
Forwards: Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe
Real Madrid’s defense is severely depleted due to injuries, but youngster Raul Asencio will start alongside Tchouameni. Federico Valverde will move to right back, and Modric will likely get the nod in central midfield.
The front four of Real picks itself, with Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Mbappe set to expose any defensive mistake from City on the counter.
Both teams have selection concerns, but Manchester City’s squad looks stronger with Ake back in training ahead of this game.
Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/manchester-city-vs-real-madrid-predicted-lineups-team-news-tactics