Man City to edge second serving of epic football
Manchester City go into their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg clash of the titans with Real Madrid, armed with the knowledge that a draw in the fixture will be sufficient to book their place in the showpiece at the Stade de France at the end of the month. However, the hosts of Wednesday's game are more than capable of upsetting them at this late stage, so the approach must be to outscore them once again. Read our preview here:
Valv's pumping
Carlo Ancelotti's charges confirmed their La Liga title with several matches to spare with a 4-0 rout of Espanyol. More importantly, it passed without incident in terms of injuries, and Los Blancos will also welcome back both Casemiro and David Alaba after they served their suspensions in the first leg. On the right side of the three-man attack will be Federico Valverde. The 23 year old is much preferred to more 'exciting' options like Gareth Bale because of his consistency and work ethic that go hand in hand with his versatility. He'll be tasked with ensuring Oleksandr Zinchenko doesn't drift past him too often down that flank whilst also tucking inside to give Dani Carvajal the space to whip low crosses in from out wide.
Cancelo your plans
Similarly in the visitors' ranks, João Cancelo's name on the teamsheet will be a timely boost, especially given the struggles for fitness both John Stones and Kyle Walker are experiencing right now. Pep Guardiola's charges also won 4-0 at the weekend (against Leeds United), so should be quietly confident against an ordinary backline in white. There might be a change in the centre of midfield, however - İlkay Gündoğan could line up alongside Rodri to give a bit more steel to a team replete with silk. That would put Gabriel Jesus' place up top at risk, though it would be a huge surprise if the Brazilian forward, after six goals in his last three games, didn't feature significantly in the tie.
Betting tip
Both XIs will be stronger than in the first leg, and the onus remains on Real Madrid to overhaul the disadvantage from that epic encounter at the Etihad. Man City must ensure that they carefully balance defensive concentration with attacking impetus, as it's hard to foresee the hosts not netting at least once. Casumo have odds of 2.00 for an away win on the night that could see the Blues set up another colossal fixture against Premier League rivals Liverpool.
