Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Real Madrid is planning to approach Champions League-Play-Ooff-Clash with Manchester City as well as in the first on Wednesday evening.
After a dramatic 3-2 victory in the Etihad Stadium, Madrid has a slim overall lead last week and are considered favorites for progress because they now have a home advantage in the crucial second leg.
With regard to strategy and style, Ancelotti will not differ from what ultimately worked in reverse.
“It will be an entertaining, complicated and difficult match. We will try to prepare well and restore players who can help us,” he told reporters in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.
“We will try to play the same game as last week. The idea is this, but with the difficulty of this kind of match in a knockout round in which we play everything in 90 minutes.”
Pep Guardiola only gave Manchester City a 1% chance of lifting the overall deficit.
“He really doesn’t believe that. I will ask him if he really has 1%,” replied the Italian when his colleague’s comment was addressed. “We don’t believe that we have 99%. We think we have a small advantage. We have to take advantage of it and play the same game as in the first leg where things went well.”
Antonio Rudiger will return to the starting line -up to visit Manchester City after missing the last four games of the club – including the first leg of this draw.
David Alaba will also be part of the Matchday squad after recovering from his recent setback and Lucas Vazquez was able to do the bank. It should serve to strengthen Madrid defensively after the inexperienced Raul Ascio put together midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in Manchester.