“Pep overthinks this right now” – Fans react to what Real Madrid have done with line-up ahead of semi-final against Manchester City

Real Madrid play Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday, April 26 at the Etihad Stadium.

Los Blancos have released their lineup two hours ahead of the clash. This is earlier than the usual time most clubs share their lineups, and this has football fans discussing what mind games the Madridistas are playing.

Fans have taken to Twitter to share their opinions about Madrid's early lineup release, which the club did in the quarter-finals against Chelsea earlier this month.

Here is a selection of tweets from the fans:

Based on Madrid's released lineup, Thibaut Courtois will be in goal, while the back four will consist of Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Ferland Mendy. Toni Kroos will play alongside Luka Modric and Federico Valverde in the midfield. Karim Benzema will spearhead the attack with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo on each side.

While Manchester City are looking to snatch their first Champions League trophy under Pep Guardiola's management, the Madridistas have enjoyed recent history in the competition. In the last decade, they have won the coveted trophy four times, even managing to complete a hat-trick from 2016-18.

The first leg of their tie will take place at the Etihad Stadium, where the Cityzens will hope to hold down the fort. Madrid will be looking to succeed away from home. The deciding second leg will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 4.

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Michael Owen predicts Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Former Real Madrid striker Michael Owen has made his predictions concerning the semifinal clash between City and his former side. According to The Mirror, the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner took a guess at who would emerge victorious in the tie before the game kicked off between the two super clubs.

Owen picked City to win over Los Blancos as he believes Pep Guardiola’s side has too much in the tank for Carlo Ancelotti’s men to handle. The former star also expects the game to end 3-1 in favor of the Cityzens.

Real Madrid have overcome tough opposition to make it this far in the competition, with victories over Paris Saint-Germain and last year’s champions Chelsea under their belt.

Guardiola, however, has failed to win a Champions League medal since his last triumph with Barcelona in 2011. Real Madrid will go into the game with more experience of getting results on the big stage.

The English champions will however hope that their perceived superiority isn’t just in Owen’s head. Manchester City will hope to secure the win predicted and take another step closer to the one trophy that has eluded them all these years.