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According to a report published by a Spanish radio station, the Champions League clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid that is set to take place next month may suffer from the consequences of the worldwide pandemic.
Real Madrid has been rocked by the coronavirus as forward Mariano Diaz tested positive earlier this week. The Real Madrid striker has gone into a period of self-isolation and the impact of the case on the Zinedine Zidane's squad remains unclear.
Manchester City's round-of-16 clash against Real Madrid in the Champions League has been scheduled for the 7th of August at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
According to UEFA, Real Madrid will be allowed to travel to England prior to the fixture but the new coronavirus case at the club has resulted in significant complications for both sides.
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Real Madrid takes on Manchester City in the Champions League next month
Real Madrid lost the first leg of the Champions League tie against Manchester City and faces an uphill task at the Etihad Stadium against Pep Guardiola's formidable side. The La Liga champions have to overturn a 2-1 deficit and Zinedine Zidane has his work cut out for him ahead of the trip to Manchester.
The rest of the tournament is set to take place in Portugal after all the round-of-16 results are resolved over the second weekend of August. Manchester City and Real Madrid have had to overcome several bureaucratic hurdles to ensure that the fixture takes place in Manchester next month.
The UK government has an ongoing 14-day quarantine rule for travellers arriving in England from Spain but confirmed that Real Madrid will be exempt from the rule earlier this week.
The new coronavirus case in the Real Madrid dressing room casts several doubts over the feasibility of the Champions League fixture. With Europe bearing the brunt of the pandemic over the past few months, clubs have taken several precautions to prevent the coronavirus from standing in the way of their plans.
UEFA has confirmed that the new case is unlikely to affect the Champions League schedule. This announcement will come as good news to both Manchester City and Real Madrid who are looking to prove a point in the competition next month.
Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne gave Manchester City a crucial advantage in the first leg played at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid will have to score at least two goals at the Etihad Stadium to give Manchester City a run for its money.
Real Madrid will be deprived of the services of the talismanic Sergio Ramos after the Real Madrid captain picked up a red card in the first leg. With Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling in excellent form since the restart, Los Blancos will have to be at their best.
Real Madrid may have to face the likes of Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona before it enters the final of the competition and will have to maintain its exceptional defensive record this season if Zidane is to lift yet another Champions League trophy.
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