Real Madrid host Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. City will be looking to qualify for their first ever Champions League finals while Zinedine Zidane, who has won the tournament as a player with Real, will be looking to guide the club to their 14th final in the Champions League.
The first leg of the semi-final at the Etihad stadium ended in a goalless draw with both sides managing to shut out each other and chances coming at a premium. Real Madrid missed Cristiano Ronaldo through injury and he will be back for the second leg of the tie.
Striker Karim Benzema is out with a hamstring injury and midfielder Casemiro will miss the tie with a hip problem.
Also read: Benzema injured for Champions League semi-final
Manchester City will receive a major boost with the return of Yaya Toure, who has travelled with the squad and is expected to play a part in the semi-finals. Mercurial attacking midfielder David Silva will miss out with a hamstring injury along with Pablo Zabaleta, who has a calf problem.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane welcomed Ronaldo’s return to fitness saying, “Cristiano [Ronaldo] is fine, 100%. There's no risk – he's training. He's improved over the last week. He is a player who looks after himself and recovers quickly.”
The French manager added, “We won't have the same game as the second leg against Wolfsburg. We can't think we'll score two or three inside 15 minutes. It's a different game and we know we'll suffer from the first minute to the 90th. We need to be patient and calm.” He also said they had no special plans for City striker Sergio Aguero.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who is returning to the Santiago Bernabeu, said, “Our aim must be to get to a final that we have never before reached. We have a lot of faith in our ability and expect to prove it. It's always good to be back at the Santiago Bernabeu – I have very good memories of being here.”
Speaking of his plans for Los Blancos, the City manager said, “We have the opportunity to make club history but we will have to play well. We tried to press and steal the ball in Manchester but it was not a good day. Tomorrow we will try to have possession and attack from the first minute.”
“We have to play as a team defensively and offensively against Real Madrid; not just Cristiano“.
The tie is interestingly poised at 0-0. Real Madrid have to win the game to go through as they do not have an away goal. Manchester City, on the other hand, will go through if they score and the match ends in a draw.
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, 2016 UEFA Champions League Semi-Final: Live Streaming Details
Television Channel: Ten Sports (Also known as Ten 2).
Online Stream: Ten Sports
Date: 5 May 2016, Wednesday.
Time: 12:15 AM (IST).
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
