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Manchester City (Source: X)
Defending UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City travel to Spain for a huge game. The English powerhouses take on European giants Real Madrid in the first quarter-finals.
Ahead of the huge game, there is a huge worry for Pep Guardiola as two stars will not be part of the game. Right-back Kyle Walker and Defender Nathan Ake haven't travelled with the team to Madrid as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
It is said to be a tough trip for the Blues as they have been inconsistent in recent weeks. Manchester City are 3rd in the table as far as the English Premier League is concerned. Cross-town rivals Manchester United gave City a chance as they held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on Sunday.
Defensive duo set to miss Real Madrid clash
It has been confirmed that Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake aren’t with the Manchester City squad to take on Real Madrid. The clash is the first quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League to be played at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Madrid fans will remember how the Citizens had torn them apart the last time the two sides played. Pep Guardiola and his team have been missing a few key players due to a variety of injuries they have endured.
Real Madrid winger Rodrygo said ahead of the game “It brings back good memories but also bad ones. This was an opponent that, to be honest, we didn’t want to face. And they think the same as well, they didn’t want to play against us." The Brazilian star also said “it’s a game that everyone expects to be the final, but it’s going to be now. Man City are very good but our team is also very good. It’s going to be good to meet them again”
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti the Real Madrid manager also had his say about the game. ““It will be an attractive match in terms of football, each team has its characteristics, with a lot of quality in both. This quality will make for a very nice technical match. We think we are superior in some aspects, they are superior in others. The superiority will be seen at the end of the 180 minutes, to see who wins the tie.”