Manchester City - Real Madrid starting teams, Champions League semifinal
Ancelotti goes with Rodrygo and Valverde, while Guardiola starts with Stones in their first leg tie at the Etihad in Manchester.
Real Madrid will start Rodrygo and Fede Valverde in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal against Manchester City, who will start with John Stones at right-back.
Carlo Ancelotti, who had doubts about whether to play with three strikers - with Rodrygo - or with an extra midfielder, such as Eduardo Camavinga, has plumped for the Brazilian, given Casemiro’s physical problems. The Brazilian midfielder starts on the bench.
Real Madrid starting XI
Madrid will start with Courtois; Carvajal, Alaba, Militao, Mendy; Kroos, Modric, Valverde; Rodrygo, Vinicius and Benzema.
Real Madrid substitutes
Vallejo, Nacho, Asensio, Marcelo, Lunin, Casemiro, Lucas, Bale, Ceballos, Isco, Camavinga, Fuidias
Manchester City defensive woes
For Manchester City, Pep Guardiola will be without Kyle Walker, who didn’t make the squad and has now missed the team’s last four games, but he will be able to count on John Stones, who, despite not playing at the weekend, will start at right-back.
Manchester City starting XI
So City will start with Ederson, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko, Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Gabriel Jesus, Mahrez and Foden.