By Goal.com News on Friday, 07 August 2020
Category: Goal.com News

LIVE: Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Both sets of players are making their way onto the pitch and kick-off at the Etihad Stadium is just moments away. The winners of this tie will play either Juventus or Lyon in next week's one-legged quarter-final in Germany.

Real Madrid are looking to overturn a first-leg deficit in a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since the 2015-16 quarter-final against Wolfsburg, progressing from that tie 3-2 on aggregate (0-2 first leg, 3-0 second leg). They have never overturned a deficit after losing the first leg at home in four previous instances.

Zidane was able to rotate his side for the draw with Leganes on the final day of the LaLiga season, but in terms of the first leg with City a total of four changes have been made. The headline news is that skipper Sergio Ramos misses out after being sent off in the reverse fixture, his place in the side being taken by Militao. Elsewhere, Kroos, Rodrygo and fit-again Hazard come in for Valverde, Isco and Vinicius.

Guardiola has made two changes to City's starting line-up from their 5-0 win over Norwich City on the final day of the Premier League season just under two weeks ago. Fernandinho is recalled to the side and slots in alongside Laporte at centre-back, with Garcia dropping to the bench after it was confirmed he does not intend to sign a new deal with the club. Gundogan replaces David Silva in the second of those changes.

Subs: Brahim Diaz, Javi Hernandez, Lucas Vazquez, Alphonse Areola, Marcelo, Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio, Federico Valverde, Luka Jovic, Diego Altube, Nacho, Isco.

MADRID XI (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Rodrygo, Karim Benzema (c), Eden Hazard.

Subs: Oleksandr Zinchenko, John Stones, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Eric Garcia, Tommy Doyle, Adrian Bernabe, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Otamendi, Claudio Bravo, Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Riyad Mahrez.

CITY XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Fernandinho (c), Aymeric Laporte, Joao Cancelo; Kevin De Bruyne, Rodrigo, Ilkay Gundogan; Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling.

Plenty has changed for Madrid in the five-and-a-bit months since the sides last met, namely the fact they are now Spanish champions thanks to an incredible run of form to conclude the domestic campaign. Zinedine Zidane's side won 10 games in a row post-lockdown and played out a 2-2 draw with Leganes on the final day after the title had already been secured.

City carry a 2-1 lead into this match from February's first leg after Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne struck in the final 12 minutes to cancel out Isco's opener. Pep Guardiola's men have played 15 matches since then and have won 11 of them, but they finished second to Liverpool in the Premier League and are relying on this competition to make 2019-20 a success.

Hello and welcome to our live text coverage of the Champions League last-16 second leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium.

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