Pep Guardiola makes two changes as Man City plot Champions League remontada vs Real Madrid

After three consecutive games on the road, Manchester City return to the comfort of the Etihad Stadium to face Real Madrid in their Champions League round of 16 second leg clash.

The Cityzens return home having lost a battle but knowing they’re still in the war. City suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

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Federico Valverde stole the spotlight with a stunning first-half hat-trick that left City chasing shadows.

It was far from a vintage performance from Pep Guardiola’s side, and it led to one of the Spanish manager’s heaviest Champions League defeats in his career.

The odds may be heavily stacked against City, but they still stand a chance of progressing to the quarter finals, although it’ll take a miraculous comeback to make that happen.

Guardiola made a couple of surprise decisions with his line-up in the first leg, and it blew up in his face.

Unsurprisingly, the six-time Premier League winner faced serious backlash for his team selection but is expected to field a more familiar XI for tonight’s must-win encounter.

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City haven’t had the best preparation for tonight’s blockbuster.

As if the Champions League humiliation wasn’t enough, Guardiola’s side also dropped points in a shocking 1-1 draw against West Ham United, losing more ground in the Premier League title race.

While they’ve refused to concede defeat both domestically and in Europe, City will be keen to avoid suffering a third consecutive loss to Madrid.

How Man City could line up:

Guardiola is expected to return to a more familiar set-up for the game against Madrid, meaning he could make at least two changes from the side that failed to dispatch West Ham.

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Gianluigi Donnarumma will retain his spot, with Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, and Rayan Ait-Nouri lining up ahead of the Italian shot stopper.

City’s “huge star” Rayan Cherki should return to the XI, with the 22-year-old lining up alongside Bernardo Silva and Nico O’Reilly, while Rodri anchors the midfield.

Erling Braut Haaland will be keen to snap a four-match goal drought and will have support from Antoine Semenyo in that quest.