Real Madrid host Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. Viewers will be hoping for a more entertaining game than we saw at the Etihad Stadium a week ago, when a cagey contest ended goalless. Real Madrid will be gunning to reach their first final since they won their 10th Champions League a couple of seasons ago, while City have never before reached this stage of the competition.
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City 2016: Start time, TV schedule and team news for Champions League
Real Madrid and Manchester City are still deadlocked heading into the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.
On paper, it's Madrid who have the advantage. Zinedine Zidane's side have been in some fine form recently, winning all but two of their matches since March. They're only a point adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona, and they've got home advantage to maximise their momentum. City, in contrast, head in on the back of a dismal defeat to Southampton, and are currently sitting down in fourth place in the Premier League. They'll once again have to lift their game if they're to stand a chance of pulling off a win at the Bernabéu.
Key question: Will anyone seize control?
The first leg of this match wasn’t particularly entertaining, with neither team wanting to take control of proceedings. They both looked to sit back and play on the counter, with the result being long passages of play in which both sides saw plenty of the ball but never took any risks to penetrate. It’ll be fascinating to see whether home advantage forces Real Madrid into playing a little more proactively here -- and whether City will be able to make the most of any space Madrid leave in behind as a result.
Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo is this competition’s all-time top scorer, and was sorely missed in the first leg. Even against stubborn defences he’s capable of producing moments of magic, and he could well terrorise a City back line that has been prone to high-profile errors so far this season. He could well prove to be the difference between these two fairly evenly matched sides.
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: None. In doubt: Karim Benzema (unspecified muscle); Casemiro (hip).
Manchester City injuries and suspensions
Out: David Silva (hamstring). In doubt: None.
Madrid have no confirmed absentees, though striker Benzema and midfielder Casemiro are both expected to miss out. They’ve both been first-team fixtures under Zidane, and will be missed. Meanwhile, City will be without playmaker David Silva, though otherwise Pellegrini should have a full-strength team available.
Match date/time: Wednesday, May 3, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English); Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish); RDS, TSN (Canada); BT Sport Europe (UK)
Online: Fox Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.); TSN live streaming (Canada); BT Sport live streaming (UK)
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