LINE-UPS
CITY XI: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Stones, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland
Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy, Camavinga, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vini Jr, Mbappe
Subs: Lunin, Modric, Arda Guler, Endrick, Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Brahim, Gonzalo, Jacobo Ramon, Chema, Lorenzo Aguado
Team news
Ruben Dias and Savinho also keep their starting berths as Pep Guardiola - as expected - makes wholesale changes from the weekend.
Returning to the starting XI are Nathan Ake, Ederson, Manu Akanji, John Stones, Bernardo, Josko Gvardiol. Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
A strong-looking bench includes new signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico, along with Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic.
WHEN AND WHERE
We host the defending champions on Tuesday 11 February, with kick-off scheduled at the Etihad Stadium for 20:00 (UK).
The game will be shown live in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. You can also keep across all of the action via the official Man City app, as well as the key moments on X/Twitter: @ManCity.
Supporters living around the world can find out how they can tune in via our global TV listings, courtesy of liversoccertv.com.
MAN CITY APP COVERAGE
Our official app allows you to follow all of the action from Manchester in one place.
Minute-by-minute text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre two hours before kick-off, whilst our Matchday Live show will begin at 18:45 (UK).
Paul Dickov and Kit Symons are the special guests on the latest Matchday Live show, offering their expert insight before the game, at half-time and in greater detail after the final whistle.
During the game you can listen to live audio commentary from Alistair Mann and Andy Morrison, while our text commentary continues.
Make sure to have push notifications turned on as well, so you can be alerted to key moments in the action, including goals, red cards and the team news.
Highlights from the match, as well as a full-match replay [available on CITY+] will also be available from midnight.
PEP GUARDIOLA PREVIEW
On Monday afternoon Pep Guardiola and Ruben Dias addressed the media ahead of our clash with Real Madrid. And the boss sent out a powerful message to the fans and his players that we can show City has ‘something special’.
“We are where we are, and I know perfectly but the team has something special and hopefully tomorrow we can prove it,” Guardiola declared.
“I will not deny how I trust with the players who gave us that incredible decade, winning a lot of things and playing a high standard, I know what we are capable of.
“To be honest it is always better to have a second leg at home in case you have extra time with your people.
“We play the second game away because we were not good in the group stage - when you finish 22nd you cannot ask for any favours.
“In football you have to deserve it - we do not deserve it. We were not even close. That’s why when the draw was either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, I thought that is what we deserve.
“Of course [going through] it would be important. We would be in the next round.
“But we have not been stable this season. We achieved Trebles and quadruples and we see how difficult it is. It is because we were a machine. Doesn’t matter what happened, we were there.
“We have many cases in the nine years I have been here where we suffer but always, we came back.
“It would be good for the club to be in this competition - I like to feel we are there but now, I know the gameplan tomorrow.
“I still have doubts about the selection - we still have injuries., I am always optimistic and calm.
“We will see what happens.”
And Dias’ message to the media was similar.
“Since I have been here this is maybe the most difficult season so far, but I am a firm believer that in the most difficult scenario you can still achieve something beautiful,” he said to assembled media at the City Football Academy on Monday.
“We know it will be difficult to get there but we have to believe in what we have in the dressing room.
“With the right belief, we are able to do anything.”
PREVIOUS MEETING
We hosted the Spanish giants just last year in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, which ended 1-1 after goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Rodrygo had the tie locked at 4-4 following the thrilling first leg.
Though Luka Modric missed Real’s first kick, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic were both unsuccessful from the spot with Antonio Rudiger converting Real’s final penalty to seal victory for the visitors and send Carlo Ancelotti’s men into the semi-finals.
In the season prior, Guardiola’s side produced one of the competition’s most memorable performances to sweep Real aside 4-0 at the Etihad and secure a place in the final, which we went on to win, and complete a historic Treble.
LAST TIME OUT
Our last Champions League game last week saw us come from a goal down to beat Club Brugge and qualify for the play off stage.
However, City’s last competitive match was on Saturday afternoon in the FA Cup, where goals from Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin De Bruyne helped recover from an early setback to beat Leyton Orient and advance into the fifth round of the competition.
As for Real, they claimed a spot in the top 24 of the league phase by comfortably beating Brest 3-0, thanks to a Rodrygo brace and a goal by Jude Bellingham.
More recently, they were held to a 1-1 draw in the Madrid derby, with former City forward Julian Alvarez’s opener for Atletico cancelled out by Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu.
MATCH OFFICIALS
GLOBAL TV LISTINGS
Supporters living around the world can find out how they can tune in via our global TV listings by clicking here, courtesy of liversoccertv.com.
(Listings correct as of 9 February)
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