Real Madrid begins the assault on the champion's throne

Real Madrid begins the assault on the champion's throne

The Madrid team begins its Champions League quarter-final against City at the Bernabéu with memories of last year

MADRID, 8 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

This Tuesday, Real Madrid will begin its assault on the throne of the current champion of the Champions League, the English Manchester City, which it receives this Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (9:00 p.m.) in the first leg of the quarterfinals with the aim of achieve the best possible result for next week's return at the Etihad and be able to take revenge for what happened last season.

The capricious hype seems to have wanted to create a kind of new 'classic' of continental football with a new cross between Madridistas and 'Citizens' in the Champions League for the third consecutive year and for the fourth in the last five seasons. At the moment, they are equal with two passes for each: in the 2015-2016 and 2021-2022 semi-finals for the 14-time European champion, and in the 2019-2020 round of 16 and in the 2022-2023 semi-finals for the English champion, the only one of the quarterfinalists to have won it all.

Carlo Ancelotti, in his 200th game in the top continental competition as a coach, will once again challenge Pep Guardiola's slate, who will once again have the advantage of the return leg in his stadium, a fiefdom that until now has been impregnable for his rival, where in both of his In recent visits he has conceded nine goals, four in the last one that meant his goodbye and one of his worst European nights in recent times.

Manchester City took revenge for the epic Merengue comeback in May 2022 and, after the 1-1 in the first leg at the Bernabéu, they authoritatively toppled the then champion, who is now the one, from their throne. He wants revenge in a tie that opens two key weeks for his aspirations of winning titles.

For now, LaLiga leader EA Sports has been able to carefully prepare this first chapter of a match surely destined to be decided in Manchester. Real Madrid has benefited from the break for the Copa del Rey final, the opposite of its rival, which has had two games before playing in the capital, where it will be necessary to see if a duel similar to last year's will be seen. , with more caution in the first 45 than in the second.

But both teams have changed their face somewhat compared to almost a year ago. The Madrid player has adopted a new form to accommodate Bellingham, who will be facing his first big European night ready to be decisive, and less presence of a '9' like Benzema, easier to monitor in theory for a visiting team plagued by casualties back, but from midfield forward he is at a high level, thanks to the quartet formed by Rodri Hernández, Bernardo Silva and, above all, Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden.

The Belgian and the English arrive very in tune and partly covering up the bad stretch that Haaland is going through, canceled in the previous tie in the first leg by Rüdiger and who did not score in either game. The Norwegian does not seem as lethal as last season, but he still has 30 goals between Premier (19), Champions (6) and FA Cup (5), and will once again demand a night of great concentration, not only from the Madrid defense. but also to his midfield, who will have to prevent good balls from reaching the '9'.

And this mission is where the biggest doubts lie for Ancelotti, who must choose Rüdiger's partner again between a pure central defender like Nacho or the converted Tchouámeni, more forceful in the aerial game and more solid in releasing the ball. This would affect the midfield because if the chosen one is the captain, the Frenchman could enter the shortlist of midfielders.

There, for the 'battle' against Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Foden and Kovacic, the Italian coach will line up, barring a surprise, Kroos, Valverde and Bellingham, while the remaining place would be for Camavinga or for Tchouámeni if ​​he does not play in the rear Above, the 'rested' Vinícius Júnior, with the danger of being warned like the Englishman and the two French midfielders, and Rodrygo will seek to take advantage of their mobility and quality to hurt a defense with doubts and without 'real' full-backs.

And Guardiola, despite recovering Stones and Ederson in goal, will not be able to count on Walker, his best antidote against the Madrid '7', nor Aké, and he has the doubt of Gvardiol, to configure his media quartet . If the Croatian is not ready, the Swiss Akanji, also a central defender, would be the option for the left back, while the young Ricco Lewis could be the right back.

REAL MADRID: Monday; Carvajal, Rudiger, Chouameni, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga, Bellingham; Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.

MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson; Akanji, Stones, Dias, Guardiol; Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Kovacic, Foot; and Haaland.

--REFEREE: François Letexier (FRA).

--Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

--TIME: 9:00 p.m./Movistar Champions League.