Real Madrid vs Manchester City: Tonight, Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the opening leg of their Champions League semifinal. Although Pep Guardiola’s team leads the Premier League by one point over Arsenal and will face Manchester United in the FA Cup Final the following month, the Champions League trophy has so far eluded the team. Pep Guardiola’s last victory in the UCL came with Barcelona in 2011. As they look to grab the trophy that has evaded them the most, we comb through the 3 key battles we have to keep an eye out on in this game. Follow UEFA Champions League LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN
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VINICIUS JUNIOR v JOHN STONES
Vinicius Junior, who Ancelotti dubbed “the most influential player in world football” earlier this year, has established himself as a key player on Real Madrid’s left flank. He has already demonstrated his ability to score goals and create opportunities this season, tallying 22 goals and 21 assists in 50 games across all competitions, including six goals and five assists in 10 Champions League appearances.
The 22-year-old, who has attempted and completed more take-ons (99) than any other player in this season’s Champions League, is expected to play a significant role once more during Real’s matchup with Man City in the semifinals.
Stones has been excellent in his hybrid role, moving into the centre of the field and controlling play, but he still needs to play defence when City is not in possession. Stones is frequently spotted moving into the right side of the backline to provide additional protection; this could happen again against Real Madrid in an effort to keep Vinicius quiet on the left.
Ready for a #UCL night under the lights! 💪 🙌 pic.twitter.com/O7pSou0e7n
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 8, 2023
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LUKA MODRIC VS KEVIN DE BRUYNE
Luka Modric, who is already 37 years old, nevertheless contributes significantly to Ancelotti’s team and is anticipated to play on Tuesday after recovering from a hamstring injury. The talented Croatian has done a commendable job of progressively returning to a deep-lying midfield position while continuing to show off in possession as the key playmaker for the Los Blancos.
De Bruyne, arguably the best playmaker in football, has recorded the most assists (16) of any player in the top five leagues in Europe this season. In the Champions League, only Vinicius (six) has given out more assists than the Belgian (five) thus far.
Having linked up brilliantly with star striker Erling Braut Haaland this season, City’s No. 17 is set to play as an advanced midfielder on Tuesday and will try to occupy the same spaces that Modric will be looking to fill when in possession. In his last 10 appearances across all competitions, City’s No. 17 has contributed to 11 goals (four goals and eight assists).
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ERLING HAALAND VS ANTONIO RUDIGER
This season, several defenders have struggled to contain Man City’s prolific goal scorer Erling Braut Haaland, but Ancelotti will be hoping that the center-back combination of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba can stop the Norwegian from finding any success in the final third on Tuesday.
In his record-breaking debut season for the Citizens, Haaland has scored 51 goals in just 46 games across all competitions, which is obviously more than any other player in Europe. This includes 12 goals in eight Champions League games, which is four more than his closest rival Mohamed Salah (eight), and eight more than Real Madrid star Karim Benzema (four).
Job done, looking forward to Tuesday! 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/4N90ToPfg8
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) May 6, 2023
The aggressive Rudiger, who is almost expected to start in central defense in place of Eder Militao, who is suspended for the first leg, might test the 22-year-old’s ability to influence play in attack. Rudiger was signed by Man City to win the Champions League.
Following his free transfer from Chelsea last summer, Rudiger has easily adjusted to life at Real Madrid. The 30-year-old German has the athleticism, strength, and experience to possibly handle Haaland, and ball-playing defender Alaba can appropriately provide a cool, collected presence next to him.
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