Predicted XIs Manchester City-Real Madrid: Will ‘the Anti-Vinicius’ start Champions League crunch tie?

Manchester City host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, and it’s all level coming into the Etihad, after a 3-3 draw last week. City have recovered some important players for this tie though, which could be the major difference between this leg and the last.

Star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne pulled out of the first leg last minute with illness, while Kyle Walker, dubbed ‘the Anti-Vinicius’ by the Spanish media last season, is also fit to play this time round. Pep Guardiola confirmed he had been ‘doing well’ in the last few training sessions but was unsure whether he would start him or put him on the bench.

Marca feel that Manuel Akanji will continue from the off at right-back, with de Bruyne returning in place of Mateo Kovacic in midfield from the first leg. Goalkeeper Ederson is also back from injury, and will play ahead of Stefan Ortega.

Meanwhiel Diario AS do feel that Walker will start the match, but otherwise agree on teh City line-up. There is no variation between either in terms of line-up for Real Madrid, although the latter do see Jude Bellingham starting more on the left side for Los Blancos.

There had been some suggestion after Aurelien Tchouameni was suspended that Eder Militao could return for Real Madrid in the second leg. Yet in just his second appearance since recovering from an anterior cruciate ligmanent injury that kept him out for seven months, Militao played only a few minutes against Real Mallorca over the weekend, which many felt confirmed that Nacho Fernandez would start the match on Wednesday night.

Tchouameni joins the injured Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba as the only absences for either side.

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