Valverde, Camavinga start in a 4-2-3-1: How Real Madrid can line up against Man City | OneFootball

Real Madrid are all set to take on English champions Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs tonight at Etihad Stadium.

The Merengues are staring at a huge challenge, even though Manchester City have been well below their best in the current season.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side go into the match against the Premier League champions without a host of key players, mostly in the defensive unit as Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, and Lucas Vazquez are all out sidelined.

Having been unable to defeat Atletico Madrid in La Liga over the weekend, Real Madrid will be hoping to get back to winning ways and take a step towards securing a place in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.

Ahead of tonight’s blockbuster encounter, here’s how Real Madrid could line up against Pep Guardiola’s men at Etihad.

Defence

Reports emerged earlier today suggesting that Ancelotti had tried Ferland Mendy at right-back in the absence of Carvajal and Vazquez, with Fran Garcia on the left side, in training.

While that may be a solution, fielding the new combination in such a high-stakes encounter could be a huge risk. As such, the likely approach is that the Real Madrid boss goes with Federico Valverde as his makeshift right-back.

Ferland Mendy ought to line up on the left side of the defence to provide more defensive solidity.

Meanwhile, with no senior centre-back fit and available the pair of Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni become the guaranteed starters in front of Thibaut Courtois in goal.

Midfield

A starting berth for Camavinga? (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

With Valverde likely to feature as a right-back and Tchouameni certain to start at centre-back, Real Madrid will need a ball-winner in midfield, which could lead to Eduardo Camavinga making his first start since returning from injury.

The 22-year-old’s presence in the centre of the park could provide an edge for the visitors, with the Frenchman expected to pair up with Dani Ceballos, who is going through his best form in Real Madrid colours.

Jude Bellingham will undoubtedly be the third midfielder for Real Madrid, but must step up after having a dull outing in the derby against Atletico Madrid.

Attack

The attacking lineup pretty much picks itself as the trifecta of Vinicius Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and Rodrygo Goes will likely be the starters for Real Madrid.

While Ancelotti has previously toyed with the idea of sacrificing a forward for an additional midfielder in big games, given the form that Rodrygo is in, such a tactic seems unlikely against Manchester City.

However, for the reigning champions of Spain and Europe to stand a chance of coming out on top tonight, they will need the superstar trio to fire on all cylinders at Etihad.

Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and Endrick will be options from the bench for Ancelotti if he wishes to change things up in attack.

Real Madrid Probable Lineup: Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy, Ceballos, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe.