Real Madrid will host Manchester City tonight at the Santiago Bernabéu at 21:00 CEST. The match comes with both teams facing notable injury concerns. This encounter marks a significant moment as manager Álvaro Arbeloa is set to face Pep Guardiola for the first time in a rivalry that has been prominent over the last five seasons.
Álvaro Arbeloa will undoubtedly analyze their previous fixture against City this season, which saw the English club secure a 2-1 victory. For this upcoming game, Real Madrid is significantly depleted, with key players such as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Éder Militão, Álvaro Carreras, David Alaba, and Dani Ceballos all sidelined due to injury. Furthermore, the availability of Eduardo Camavinga and Dean Huijsen remains uncertain, and Franco Mastantuono is suspended. Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, will be without Joško Gvardiol and Mateo Kovačić, although he benefits from a broader array of alternative players.
Arbeloa to Give Thiago Pitarch Third Consecutive Start
According to Diario AS, there’s a strong expectation that promising young midfielder Thiago Pitarch will earn his third consecutive start. The only predicted alterations from their recent 2-1 victory against Celta Vigo involve the potential comeback of Huijsen and Gonzalo García, who might replace Raúl Asensio or Brahim Díaz.
Meanwhile, Sport speculates that both aforementioned changes are likely to happen, along with a surprising potential start for Dani Carvajal, following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s challenging display in Galicia. Contrary to Diario AS, Sport also suggests that Camavinga might take Pitarch’s place in the lineup.
Manchester City Expected to Field Attacking Lineup for Victory
Pep Guardiola is anticipated to adopt an offensive strategy at the Bernabéu, reportedly including only two natural defenders in his starting eleven. Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes, both converted to full-back roles, are expected to be tasked with neutralizing the threats of Fede Valverde and Vinicius Jr. Jeremy Doku is favored to start on the left wing over Antoine Semenyo, with a potential unexpected inclusion of Omar Marmoush.
While recent trends suggest Marmoush might more probably begin the match from the bench, Rayan Cherki is projected to be the primary creative force for City. The game will also provide Real Madrid with a direct opportunity to observe potential summer transfer target, Rodri Hernández.
