Meeting for the 15th time in the Champions League, European powerhouses Real Madrid and Manchester City headline matchweek six of the league phase at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday evening.
Los Blancos manager Xabi Alonso faces mounting pressure following a damaging 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo over the weekend, while Pep Guardiola’s City side arrive on the back of a three-game winning streak.
Four points behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race, Real Madrid have managed just two victories from their last seven outings across all competitions and suffered their first home loss of the season against Celta Vigo, putting the club in unfamiliar territory by its high standards.
The clash against Celta Vigo saw Madrid’s defensive injury woes worsen, multiple attacking opportunities squandered, and three players dismissed with red cards in a chaotic evening at the Bernabéu. From an impressive run of 13 wins from Alonso’s first 14 matches in charge, Los Blancos have now claimed just two victories in their last 630 minutes of football. Coupled with reports of player unrest, Alonso’s position has inevitably come under scrutiny.
Despite the domestic turmoil, Alonso will retain the reins for the Champions League showdown. Real Madrid have accumulated 12 points from 15 on offer in the UCL group stage, including a thrilling 4-3 win over Olympiacos thanks to a Kylian Mbappe quadruple. Earlier home wins against Juventus and Marseille have ensured a perfect record at the Bernabéu this season, with 13 of their last 14 home group-stage matches ending in victory.
Manchester City, meanwhile, aim to bounce back after a 2-0 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen on matchday five, where goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick ended their unbeaten start. Guardiola admitted that rotating his squad by making 10 changes may have been excessive, leaving City outside the automatic last-16 positions.
The Citizens have collected 10 points from 15 in the group stage and are currently ninth, trailing Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, and Chelsea on goal difference. A positive result on Wednesday could lift them into the top eight, while a defeat may push them further down.
City have responded strongly on the domestic front, winning their last three Premier League games with emphatic victories over Leeds United, Fulham, and Sunderland. Well acquainted with Madrid, Guardiola’s side hope to avoid a third consecutive defeat to Los Blancos following last season’s 6-3 aggregate loss in the knockout stages. Historically, they have won just once in seven visits to the Bernabéu, a 2-1 triumph in February 2020.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Already grappling with a depleted defence, Alonso’s backline woes worsened against Celta Vigo when Eder Militao limped off in the first half with a hamstring injury, ruling him out of Wednesday’s clash.
Fellow defenders Dani Carvajal (knee), Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh), and Ferland Mendy (hamstring) join Militao in the treatment room, while Dean Huijsen and David Alaba are unlikely to recover from muscle strains in time. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (ankle) adds to the absentee list, leaving Alonso perilously thin at the back. Fortunately, suspensions are not a concern, as Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia—both red-carded at the weekend—will serve their bans in La Liga rather than the Champions League.
Up front, Kylian Mbappe has already netted a career-best nine goals in this season’s UCL campaign, but a reported leg issue may sideline him against City.
In contrast, Manchester City arrive in Madrid with a near full-strength defence, although John Stones was a surprising absence from Saturday’s 3-0 win over Sunderland due to an unspecified injury, with Guardiola offering no further details. Stones will not make the trip to the Spanish capital, and midfielders Mateo Kovacic (ankle) and Rodri (thigh) are also sidelined. Beyond that, the visitors remain well-stocked.
Rayan Cherki, who provided two assists on Saturday—including a brilliant rabona for Phil Foden’s header—has made a strong case for a first Champions League start of the season for City this week.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras; Tchouameni, Ceballos; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Garcia
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez; Cherki, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 2-2 Manchester City
