Manchester City and Real Madrid collide tonight in the first leg of their blockbuster Champions League play-off clash.
In a fixture befitting of the final, the two European giants meet in the first knockout phase of the competition with one side facing the ignominy of elimination before the last 16 stage.
The two meet for the fourth consecutive year with Real triumphing on penalties in the quarter-finals last season before going onto lift the trophy for the 15th time.
But they travel to Manchester weakened and depleted at the back. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are long-term absentees with Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba also absent.
Carlo Ancelotti was handed a further blow with Lucas Vazquez, often utilised as a back-up option at full-back, picking up a hamstring injury.
Real will have a makeshift backline line that will surely include Aurélien Tchouaméni at centre-half. Federico Valverde may also have to drop into a right-back role.
Aside from left-backs Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy, Ancelotti has just one fit defender in 21-year-old Raul Asencio with the Los Blancos boss correctly labelling the situation a ‘total emergency’.
For City, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Ederson remain doubts ahead of kick-off with January signing Nico Gonzalez forced off on his debut against Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Ruben Dias came off after 45 minutes in that game in what was a pre-planned change by Pep Guardiola with John Stones coming on and playing the second period.
The City boss is now confident his defenders have put their injury problems behind them after difficult seasons.
Erling Haaland has failed to score in his four games against Real and after being rested at the weekend, will be eager to put that right.
Vitor Reis is ineligible after being left out of City’s latest Champions League squad but fellow January signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush are available.
Predicted Man City XI to face Real Madrid
Oretga; Akanji, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic; Bernardo, Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland
Predicted Real Madrid XI to face Man City
Courtois, Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy, Modric, Modric, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe
Where to watch Man City vs Real Madrid? Kick-off time and TV channel
Man City vs Real Madrid will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday 11 February at no additional cost for subscribers.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm, alongside the play-off ties between Juventus and PSV Eindhoven and Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund.
Those games, along with the evening’s early kick-off between Brest and Paris Saint-Germain, can be found on TNT Sports’ regular coverage.
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