Manchester Metropolis look to maintain their Champions League hopes alive as they face Actual Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu within the second-leg of a Spherical of 16 play-off match.
Following on from a sinking defeat courtesy of a last-minute objective on the Etihad Stadium final week, Metropolis now look to claw again the deficit with a determined 3-2 combination scoreline at the moment standing in favour of Actual Madrid.
Regardless of taking part in nicely for giant intervals of time final Tuesday night time, the blues simply couldn’t see out the victory, with two late targets in the end costing Manchester Metropolis and giving them a momentous activity on Wednesday.
The defeat had additional penalties for Pep Guardiola’s aspect, with defender Manuel Akanji struggling an harm which is about to rule him out of motion for a sustained time period and presumably till the tip of the season.
Jack Grealish was additionally pressured off within the first-half of the match with a suspected groin harm, however the winger skilled on Tuesday of this week forward of the conflict and is now in competition to start out for the membership.
Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland have all skilled forward of this one, with the latter a attainable doubt after affected by an obvious knee harm in Manchester Metropolis’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.
The triumph towards Newcastle has breathed some life into the hopes of the Metropolis gamers forward of Wednesday’s tie, with the blues taking part in with a rhythm which has not been seen for a big interval of this season.
Regardless of the constructive consequence on the weekend, Pep Guardiola can be below no phantasm concerning the activity he has on his fingers going into this one, with Manchester Metropolis needing to go to the Santiago Bernabeu and win by two targets to overturn the first-leg deficit and advance.
With that being mentioned, right here is all the pieces you have to know forward of Wednesday’s enormous conflict within the Spanish capital, as Manchester Metropolis tackle Actual Madrid within the second leg of the UEFA Champions League spherical of 16 play-off match.
Match Particulars
Manchester Metropolis tackle Actual Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday nineteenth February, with kick-off within the Spanish capital scheduled for 20:00 GMT.
Match Officers
UEFA have confirmed {that a} predominantly Romanian crew of officers will take cost of Actual Madrid towards Manchester Metropolis, with the crew led by on-field match referee István Kovács.
You may try the complete crew of match officers right here!
Crew Information
Oscar Bobb and Rodri stay dominated out for Wednesday night time’s conflict, with the return date unknown for the pair, whereas Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland all skilled forward of the conflict and are in competition to start out.
Jack Grealish has additionally returned to coaching and will begin having withdrawn from the first-leg conflict in the course of the opening exchanges. The England worldwide was named as a part of Manchester Metropolis’s 22-man travelling squad, which is on the market in full under.
As for the hosts, David Alaba, Lucas Vasquez and Antonio Rudiger are all within the Actual Madrid squad checklist for the sport, after they missed the first-leg via harm. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao stay out with long-term accidents.
Head-to-Head
Manchester Metropolis have received simply as soon as in six visits to the Santiago Bernabeu, with a Gabriel Jesus header and Kevin De Bruyne penalty securing a 1-2 victory again in 2020.
The 2 sides have met within the UEFA Champions League in 5 of the final six seasons, with Actual Madrid being the aspect that Manchester Metropolis have confronted probably the most within the competitors.
Metropolis have confronted Madrid 13 occasions within the UEFA Champions League, with 4 victories every and 5 attracts after 90 minutes.
Statistics
Actual Madrid’s 3-2 win within the first leg towards Manchester Metropolis was the fortieth time they’ve received the primary leg of a European knockout stage tie away from dwelling – they’ve progressed from 37 of the earlier 39, failing solely towards Odense Boldklub (1994/95 UEFA Cup) and Ajax (2018/19 UEFA Champions League).
Manchester Metropolis’s 3-2 defeat within the first leg was the fifth time they’ve misplaced the primary leg of a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie, happening to be eradicated on every of the earlier 4 events.
Actual Madrid have misplaced simply considered one of their six UEFA Champions League dwelling video games towards Manchester Metropolis (W3, D2), taking place 2-1 within the spherical of 16 in 2019/20.
Manchester Metropolis have misplaced 9 of their 27 UEFA Champions League conferences with Spanish opponents, nearly twice as many defeats than towards sides from some other nation (5 vs French and German groups). Certainly, their 9 losses vs Spanish groups accounts for 28% of their general defeats within the competitors (9/32).
Actual Madrid have solely failed to attain in considered one of their final 78 UEFA Champions League dwelling video games (207 targets scored), doing so in a 3-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in December 2018.
Manchester Metropolis conceded 20 photographs towards Actual Madrid within the first-leg final Tuesday, probably the most that any away crew has had on the Etihad Stadium since Pep Guardiola arrived on the membership.
Within the six matches on the Santiago Bernabeu, Manchester Metropolis have solely failed to attain on one event, with a 1-0 defeat in 2016 the final and solely time Metropolis travelled to the capital and didn’t convert.
Manchester Metropolis have by no means misplaced a recreation with Wednesday’s referee Istvan Kovacs officiating, whereas Actual Madrid have misplaced as soon as with the Romanian a cost, a 4-3 defeat to Manchester Metropolis again in 2022.
How you can Watch
For viewers in the UK, Wednesday’s match can be broadcast reside on TNT Sports activities 1, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 GMT.
For these in the USA, you’ll be able to watch the conflict reside on Paramount+.
You’ll find full international TV listings for the match
Metropolis Xtra may have full reside protection accessible on our , , and channels all through Wednesday night, with content material additionally offered on and !