Actual Madrid vs Man Metropolis: UEFA Champions League – workforce information, preview, begin – INA NEWS

Who: Actual Madrid vs Manchester Metropolis
What: UEFA Champions League
The place: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
When: Wednesday, February 19 at 9pm native time (20:00 GMT)
Observe Al Jazeera Sports activities’s dwell textual content and photograph commentary stream of the match.

Actual Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says his Manchester Metropolis counterpart Pep Guardiola was intentionally underestimating the English facet’s hopes of reaching the Champions League final 16.

European champions Madrid maintain a 3-2 lead on Metropolis, who’ve struggled this season and are fourth within the Premier League, forward of the playoff spherical second leg on Wednesday on the Santiago Bernabeu.

After thrashing Newcastle 4-0 on Saturday, Guardiola mentioned English champions Metropolis have solely a 1-percent likelihood of knocking out the file 15-time European Cup winners.

“He doesn’t actually assume that, I’ll ask him earlier than the sport — do you actually assume you’ve obtained a 1-percent likelihood?” Ancelotti instructed a information convention on Tuesday.

“He actually thinks they’ve obtained extra likelihood than that … we don’t assume now we have 99-percent likelihood.

“We predict now we have a small benefit that now we have to reap the benefits of, and attempt to play the identical recreation we arrange within the first leg, which went nicely.”

What else has Guardiola needed to say forward of the Actual conflict?

Guardiola gained three LaLiga titles and two Champions League crowns in his time with Actual’s arch-rivals in Spain, Barcelona.

This marketing campaign has marked the best, and maybe first, true battle of his managerial profession.

“This season the truth is now we have been miles, miles away,” he mentioned. “The outcomes have been poor.”

What do the stats say for Actual Madrid and Man Metropolis?

Guardiola has by no means failed in 16 seasons of teaching — 4 at Barcelona, three at Bayern and 9 in Manchester — to take his workforce to the final 16. The 2012-13 season was the final time Metropolis didn’t play at that stage.

Madrid obtained the higher of Metropolis within the quarterfinals final 12 months, and with a 3-1 win in additional time within the semifinals in 2022. Every time Ancelotti’s workforce went on to win the title, extending the membership’s file to fifteen Champions League trophies.

What’s the newest on Actual Madrid vs Spanish referees?

Ancelotti additionally reiterated his frustration with Spanish refereeing, following some controversial choices which went towards his facet in latest LaLiga matches.

Ancelotti mentioned he was extra snug with refereeing within the Champions League.

“Statistics converse for themselves, in Europe, there’s much less controversy on this sense, there are much less VAR interventions,” mentioned Ancelotti.

“The VAR solely intervenes when it’s needed, and normally, the Champions League options the perfect referees from every nation, so the standard could be very excessive on this sense.”

Is Bellingham out there after purple card towards Osasuna?

England worldwide Jude Bellingham was despatched off for dissent throughout Madrid’s 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday in LaLiga, however the ensuing suspension shouldn’t be relevant within the Champions League.

Bellingham’s teammate Federico Valverde mentioned he didn’t need the midfielder to alter his methods.

“What I would like is gamers who depart their soul out on the pitch, on this case with Jude within the final recreation, I at all times need him to be like that,” Valverde instructed reporters.

“Jude is a participant who reveals character, who at all times needs to win, who at all times needs to battle.

“This time he obtained a purple card, however I like that he’s giving all the things, his spikiness … now we have to remain united as a workforce.”

Actual Madrid workforce information

Ancelotti confirmed in his information convention forward of the sport that defender Antonio Rudiger was match to start out for the holders after harm, however Lucas Vazquez would solely be prepared for the bench.

Manchester Metropolis workforce information

Erling Haaland is ready to face Actual regardless of taking a heavy blow within the victory towards Newcastle.

The striker was grounded for a while in ache after taking a knock throughout the recreation, however Guardiola says he anticipated the striker to be match.

Head-to-head

The groups have confronted one another 16 occasions, with Actual rising as winners on six events.

Metropolis haven’t been there to make up the numbers, nonetheless, as they’ve claimed victory in 5 of the encounters.

Though Metropolis haven’t crushed Actual of their final three video games, Guardiola’s facet did emerge victorious on away targets when the perimeters had been pitted collectively on this competitors in Metropolis’s Champions League profitable marketing campaign two seasons in the past.

The Cityzens have gained solely one in every of their six journeys to Madrid, which got here courtesy of a 2-1 win in 2020.