For this quarter-final return between Manchester City and Real Madrid, both teams made changes compared to the first leg (3-3).
Defender and captain Kyle Walker was started for his return from injury with Manchester City against Nacho’s Real Madrid, wearing the armband on the Spanish side, on Wednesday in the quarter-final second leg of the Champions League.
Walker injured his hamstring during the last international window with England. He was withdrawn from Manchester City’s next four matches and made his return, without playing, on the substitutes’ bench on Saturday against Luton (5-1) in the league.
The defensive line of the reigning European champions is completed by Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol, one of the three Mancunian scorers in the first leg (3-3) in Madrid, with Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden.
In Manchester for the return, the latter two logically retain their starting place in attack, responsible in particular for supplying goal balls to Erling Haaland, silent against Real like last season. Pep Guardiola has chosen to trust on the wing left to Jack Grealish rather than Jérémy Doku, with whom the England international is often put in competition.
On the visitors’ side, Carlo Ancelotti brought back the entire team lined up at the first leg’s kick-off, with one exception: Nacho replaces Tchouaméni, suspended, in central defense with the captain’s armband. The 34-year-old Spaniard will form a pair with Antonio Rüdiger who had perfectly muzzled Halaand in the first leg.
