Key occasions
The Bernabéu roof is closed for this recreation. Woof.
As ever, Sid Lowe has accomplished a superb job of organising this Actual Madrid conflict. And as ever, Madrid have given him one thing to put in writing about.
A bit extra background right here:
There’s additionally a tasty Premier League conflict beginning shortly, that includes the league leaders as Liverpool journey to Aston Villa. Marcus Rashford v Trent Alexander-Arnold, if you’ll.
You possibly can observe that one stay proper right here, it’s a 7.30pm GMT kick-off.
Preamble
This recreation doesn’t want an excessive amount of of a promote. It’s Actual Madrid v Manchester Metropolis, for goodness sake. It’s Pep Guardiola, Barcelona legend, on the Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti’s eyebrow is tantalisingly poised. Except for Actual and Metropolis, no different membership has laid their arms on Ol’ Large Ears, the Champions League trophy, in 4 years. YOU WANT NARRATIVE? YOU GOT IT.
It actually doesn’t get any greater than this, significantly on the playoff spherical stage. It appears weird that that is successfully a qualifier for the spherical of 16, moderately than a semi-final (bear in mind this?) or a remaining. However that’s these two get for an underwhelming league part.
In fact, Actual Madrid are favourites. They virtually personal this competitors, having claimed six of the previous 11 titles on provide. They’re at residence and maintain a 3-2 first-leg lead, which helps. However no one thinks Metropolis are out of it. It’d solely takes one second from Erling Haaland, one ridiculous cross from Kevin De Bruyne, one mazy Phil Foden dribble and shot and the entire tie might flip.
As a coach on the Bernabéu, Guardiola’s Barcelona workforce defeated Actual Madrid within the 2011 Champions League semi-final and put six previous them of their most resonant victory in La Liga. Nonetheless, having misplaced the primary leg 3-2 at residence final week, not one of the outcomes he has secured right here as Metropolis supervisor could be enough to see them via and after the primary leg he mentioned that they had solely a 1% likelihood. Carlo Ancelotti mentioned he didn’t purchase that, dismissing recommendations that Madrid’s possibilities stood at 99%, and claiming he would ask Guardiola if he actually believed that his hopes had been so small.
The thoughts video games are properly underway. It guarantees to be a fully scrumptious evening of affiliation soccer.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT, 9pm in Madrid.
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