Manchester City (Getty Images)
Manchester City are set to take on Real Madrid in the second leg of the Round of 16 in the Champions League on Friday at Etihad.
Pep Guardiola’s men have a 2-1 advantage over Madrid from the first leg and they should be at their best against the strong side. Though they have been full of goals in recent weeks, they haven’t been at their best on several occasions as they lost to Southampton, Chelsea and Arsenal since the restart.
City should manage to move to the next round by taking advantage of Sergio Ramos’ absence for the Spanish giants. On the other hand, Zinedine Zidane would be hoping to turn the fixture in his side’s favour and this could be tricky for City.
Sergio Aguero will be a notable absentee as he is still recovering from a knee injury. Benjamin Mendy will also not be available as he is suspended after picking up a yellow card in the first leg in the Spanish capital.
The Brazilian claimed the Premier League Golden Glove after keeping 16 clean sheets this season. He is the first-choice in goal for City and would be hoping to not concede on Friday.
Walker has been a regular starter for the Cityzens and will be an undoubted starter against the La Liga champions. He will be expected to play a key role at both ends of the pitch.
Though Eric Garcia has played enough recently, Fernandinho could be brought in as he has the experience of being involved in games like these.
Laporte’s return from injury has been a massive boost to the squad, which wasn’t consistent at the back. He will be partnering the Brazilian in the heart of City’s defence.
With Mendy suspended, Cancelo is expected to start at left-back ahead of the others as he did in the last outing against Norwich.
The Spaniard will start for sure and will be key in breaking Los Blancos’ array of attacks. He should be able to help the defence as well.
The Belgian international is one of their prized assets. He is an undoubted starter and will be expected to create a lot of opportunities for City’s frontline.
With David Silva having played his last game a few weeks back, the former Borussia Dortmund man will be the third midfielder in the squad.
Mahrez should get the nod ahead of Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden as he is capable of breaking open any defence. He should be able to contribute with a goal or an assist.
The 27-year-old is City’s top scorer this season. He will start for sure and should be able to get on the score sheet once again to help his team cross the line.
The Brazilian has been a regular starter in the absence of Aguero. He will lead the line.
