Real Madrid (H) - Wed 17th April, 20:00 | CL | Pre-Match Thread

[Georgian Maestro]

Our ability to control the game has just dropped a couple of notches.

 

[01cravend]

Outside a fully fit and firing Stones.. that's probably our best team.. Can I be confident?

 

[ftg89]

Can you pay by card at Hancock’s on Ambrose street car park?

 

[Nour]

There’s a part of me that thinks Perez will sack Ancelotti if they get knocked out by us again.

Hence his comments ahead of the match.

What did he say?

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Nice little omen from the 17:30 Kempton. Blues beat Real. :)

 

[Jonas.shaffer]

Good team. I hope Phil is centrally next to KDB versus on the wing. He's not the same player when hugging the touchline.

 

[CTID1977]

 

[yankblue]

anyone else shitting their pants yet?

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Akanji in midfield…

 

[SebastianBlue]

What did he say?

Something, something, this is our competition, something, the fans do not need to worry, something, something, please don’t sack me if we get smashed by this lot again…

 

[chris85mcfc]

Our ability to control the game has just dropped a couple of notches.

Agreed on that, but Kev in the side gives us more danger going forward, and should hopefully see a better version of Erling from the 1st leg

Looks like it'll be a shootout, although we have a much better defence and midfield, don't really rate their keeper even so hopefully we really put him under pressure

 

[SebastianBlue]

anyone else shitting their pants yet?

Yes.

But only because that’s how it always works for me now.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Shame that Stones is out. Makes a big difference.
But still a great team. If we’re at it, we win.

Pep might be creating a special plan for him against Chelsea.

 

[alexmcity]

mean stepping in to midfield. Hes a great defender but much weaker then stones in link up play

Akanji has been the only defender in the big leagues since 2015 to complete 100% of his passes in the final third: 63/63 vs Brentford. He lacks some of Stones's qualities, in particular Stones's composure in tight spaces and the ability to dribble, but I'd say his forward passes are a bit better than Stones's.

 

[Protein Junkie]

anyone else shitting their pants yet?

I hope not as I’ve got a blocked pipe atm :-(

 

[eastmanc]

Not having Stones in the starting eleven concerns me. Anyway come on you Dolly Blues.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Team news

CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Stones, Ake, Kovacic, Doku, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis

 

[PragueBlue]

Akanji in midfield…

Could be Gvardiol or none of them with Bernardo dropping deeper alongside Rodri and Walker pushing up on the right.

 

[MCFC1993]

No Stones is rough.

Worrying amount of tourists, bus welcome underwhelming, hopefully the atmosphere is better inside.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Stones should be playing if he's fit. Dias is also a yellow away from suspension, can only assume he isn't 100% otherwise its an odd choice.

I really hoped kovacic was playing even though I thought it unlikely. We need to pray Bernardo plays centrally next to Rodri because if we leave Rodri alone in midfield, we'll get suckered punched. We haven't controlled a single game against top opposition all season when Rodri has been left alone in midfield with effectively two 10's. Needs to happen tonight. Less confident than I was before the team news but we're still favourites. Time to show up.