ANKARA
Real Madrid will host Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
The two groups met in last year’s Champions League semi-final and Real Madrid triumphed with a 5-6 aggregate.
Despite struggling to succeed in Spain’s La Liga this season, Real Madrid looked fit recently by winning the Copa del Rey on Saturday by beating Osasuna 2-1.
Veteran Merengues coach Carlo Ancelotti cautiously opposed their tough warring matches, saying: “Man City may look unstoppable, but we will have our chances and we can compete. We’re not thinking about stopping a single player, it’s a team. We need a positive outcome. We don’t need to suffer, we need to play well. The purpose is to avoid problems. It won’t be an easy game. “
Real Madrid’s Eder Militao will be banned against Manchester City in the next clash.
The in-form Citizens will face defending champions Los Merengues to triumph at the last moment in the English club’s history.
The Manchester club’s weapon in its arsenal will be star Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who has scored 12 goals in 8 Champions League games this season.
Citizens head coach Pep Guardiola, who twice won Europe’s top football trophy with Barcelona, said: “We come here with encouragement. The way we play is good. We are not here for revenge, just for another chance. One day we will win it. We come here this season to do it. It wasn’t done last year because we played Real in this competition. “
In a Milan Champions League derby, AC Milan will face Inter Milan in the first leg of the competition’s semi-final at San Siro on Wednesday.
Real Madrid is the most successful club in the UEFA Champions League, which has been played since 1955, with 14 trophies.