The 163 days passed since the Bernabéu duel they have blown extraordinarily in favor of Madrid, which now contemplates the interrupted tie against City since a more optimistic observatory. Only the result of the first leg (1-2), certainly adverse, stays in place. The rest have been on their side, starting with the absence of public on the lap, which shifts the scenario towards favorable neutrality. In February, City was the club with the most valuable squad in the world. This growing Madrid has passed him in August (follow the match live on AS.com).
Four days before departure, Hazard had a fibula fissure in the Ciutat de Valencia. Since then he has only been able to play six games, all in post-confinement, all incomplete. Zidane has measured him thinking about this meeting after a very accident year in which He only scored one goal and missed 24 games due to different injuries. At Etihad its time comes, a galactic match for a galactic signing. Others who were in their day, James and Bale, stayed in Madrid for the second sales.
Asensio takes advantage
The alignment of the Belgian and the classicism of Zidane open only a gap in the alignment of Madrid. The chosen one will mark the model. With Valverde a midfielder would win, with Isco a playmaker and with Asensio a winger with a goal. And Madrid needs at least two to pass, which gives the Balearic advantage. The rest offer little doubt. This time Kroos will play, who did not have a minute at the Bernabéu in a decision yet to be explained. And behind, Militao will supply Ramos, a loss of enormous draft, the spiritual Messi of Madrid in explanation of Valdano and the second scorer of the team (13 goals) in arithmetic terms.
Militao has played less than expected. Only 19 games for a third central they seem few, but Ramos' absences have little reflection on the scores. He has missed six games this season and Madrid won in five of them. The only defeat was in the Parque de los Príncipes, almost eleven months ago. That, in the course. Looking back, in Europe, Madrid have only won a game of seven without him. He's a player for nights like this and the team will have to survive without his baton.
The eleven defeats of City
Madrid, in any case, is an undefeated team after the return of football while for City the new normal is suspiciously similar to the old. He has lost four times in the post-pandemic and eleven in the campaign total (six last year, in which he managed the League, Cup, League Cup and Community Shield). The score of seven of those losses would eliminate him tonight and two would lead him to overtime, but he has spent weeks with no other occupation than this duel.
Now Sterling arrives, top scorer of the team (30 points) and that at the Bernabéu he only played 17 minutes (enough to cause the 1-2 penalty) because he was coming off an injury, and it no longer weighs, as it did then and thanks to the TAS, a threat of suspension for two years for skipping the financial fair play. A decision that misses UEFA and accounting experts: City 340 million has been spent on just six defenses in the recent past. That makes three and a half galactics. In exchange, Agüero will be missing, second scorer of the team and that in Madrid did not play a minute, and the suspended Mendy, a left back without clear relief.
Laporte is looking for a partner
Almost all of City's doubts are behind, fundamentally in Laporte's partner in the middle of the rear. Otamendi, starter in the first leg, has been evaporating and the thing is between Fernandinho, midfielder who has played 35 of his 39 games as a central defender, all but the last four, and Barça youth team player Eric García, 19, who has been climbing the ladder this months. Guardiola revealed yesterday that he does not want to renew. The return to Barça seems sung. Joao Cancelo may have to play a changed band.
In any case, the team's axis of rotation will be Belgian De Bruyne, a footballer with 15 goals and 23 assists, lung and heart of the group. His hierarchy was not enough in the Premier against a fierce Liverpool that has left City at 18 points.
Madrid, in any case, will be measured, in inferior conditions, to a ghost from the past, to that Barça model that Mansour bin Zayed was petro-buying in installments with Ferran Soriano, Beguiristain and, finally, Guardiola. Madrid will be, from today, the rival that the Catalan coach has faced the most times. It went very well with Messi and much worse without him. In total, 18 duels and only four defeats, two of them in Europe. Today he has an advantage, but he knows that they are opposite Zidane, the invincible of the Champions although he never had to come back after a defeat at the Bernabéu, and Madrid, the greatest legend of the competition.