Predicted Manchester City starting XI v Real Madrid | OneFootball

Manchester City are left with no option but to win tonight if they want to progress to the knock-out rounds of the Championship.

City are trailing 3-2 from the first leg and they need a victory on Wednesday night. Standing in front of them is their perennial nemesis, Real Madrid.

This has been a tough campaign so far for City, but they have crawled back into the top four in the Premier League. They are showing signs of getting back to their old best.

Pep Guardiola has been handed a massive boost ahead of the game, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, and Jack Grealish all being included as part of the 22-man travelling squad.

It would be a huge gamble to start with Ake and Dias, given they have recently returned from injuries, but if Guardiola can’t take a gamble now…then when?

Dias, 27, brings experience and leadership at the back, and Guardiola must include him in the starting line-up. That means Rico Lewis will have to leave his spot, and Stones should fill that role.

Guardiola showered heaps of praise on Nico Gonzalez, saying they have found the perfect mini-Rodri. City need players like him in midfield to execute Guardiola’s plans, and therefore, he has to start against Madrid.

Kevin de Bruyne did not start in the previous game against Newcastle United, and City will hope that he can produce his best form tonight.

Bernardo Silva should also start. Erling Haaland will play even if he is not fully fit, while Savinho and Phil Foden are expected to start as well. Thus, Guardiola is expected to make four key changes from the side that won 4-0 against the Magpies in the previous game.