Manchester City take on Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off tie at the Etihad.
The heavyweight duo are used to facing off in the latter stages of this competiti0n – having played each other in the quarter-finals last season and semi-finals in the previous two campaigns – but are battling just to reach the last 16 this time.
Both missed out on automatic progression after finishing outside of the top eight in the league phase, with an out-of-sorts City only avoiding elimination from the competition courtesy of a victory over Club Brugge in the final round of fixtures.
Even so, this duo have played out some thrillers in the past and we should be in for an exciting tie.
Chekc out the team news for tonight’s first leg below.
Manchester City team news
Your City team to face Real Madrid 🩵
XI | Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Stones, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Marmoush, Kovacic, Doku, Nico, Gundogan, Nunes, Khusanov, Foden, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee#ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/HW42T8fGAF
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 11, 2025
Man City’s big guns are back in their XI after being rested for their FA Cup tie at Leyton Orient.
That means Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne come into the side, with Jack Grealish also given a rare start.
Ederson in goal and a back four of Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol as John Stones looks set to start in midfield.
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Stones, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland
Real Madrid team news
📋✅ Our starting XI!
🆚 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/R9auDcEDLb— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 11, 2025
A defensive crisis sees Real name a makeshift back four for this crucial clash as Federico Valverde slots into right-back and Aurelien Tchouameni is named centre-back.
French midfielder Tchouameni plays alongside youngster Raul Asencio, with Farland Mendy on the left of defence.
Edouardo Camavinga and former Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos start in midfield, with Real’s deadly front four of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe all selected.
Luka Modric is named on the bench.
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy, Camavinga, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius