Man City v Real Madrid: Three key battles in the Champions League quarter-final showdown
A.N. OTHER v VINICIUS JUNIOR
The loss of injured Kyle Walker is a major blow to Pep Guardiola’s plans to shackle the brilliant Brazilian winger.
It has left the City manager with a major selection headache as to who will start at right-back. The smart money, surely, is on the experienced John Stones ahead of youngster Rico Lewis or any other re-shufffle.
But this is Guardiola and it would not be beyond the realms to see City do something unorthodox.
Whatever it is, it had better work.
Walker has done brilliantly against the Real star, although Vinicius did give the Spanish side the lead at the Bernabeu, in last season’s 1-1 draw.
The more alarming precedent for the Blues is the fact that City appeared to be heading to the Final in 2022 in Madrid, only for Walker to come off after 72 minutes, with his team up 5-3 on aggregate.
Famously, Vinicius inspired a comeback for the ages and a Walker-less City went out in extra-time.
RODRI v BELLINGHAM
Jude Bellingham is, arguably, England’s best player currently. Rodri has not lost a game for club or country in over a year.
Something has to give over the next two games and, if Guardiola puts his holding midfielder on Bellingham, that could be the area that decides what.
As befits his prodigious talents, Bellingham has something of a free role, or at least a hybrid one, under Carlo Ancelotti.
Part high midfielder/number 10, part false nine… call him what you want, like many before him at Real, it is hard to pin down exactly what he does.
So, how does Guardiola counter that? The obvious answer is the brilliant Rodri - “the best midfielder in the world,” according to his manager. But does pushing him higher if, and when, Bellingham drops deeper compromise City’s structure?
HAALAND v
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