Real Madrid forwards Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and Gareth Bale listen intently to head coach Zinedine Zidane during training. (Photo : Getty Images)
Spanish La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid CF will again clash with English Premier League giants Manchester City in the second leg of their 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League semifinals matchup on Wednesday, May 4th at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The teams' first leg meeting, held at the Etihad Stadium on April 26th, ended in a goalless draw as City failed to take advantage of their home stand in the head-to-head series. Three-time Ballon d'Or awardee Cristiano Ronaldo was not able to suit up for Los Blancos in the said contest because of a thigh injury, as reported by SkySports.
There were only a "few clear chances" throughout the said game, the report said, but Los Vikingos went closest to scoring a goal with a looping header that hit the crossbar from substitute striker Jesé, who was inserted by head coach Zinedine Zidane at the restart to replace Karim Benzema after the latter seemed to have aggravated his recurring hamstring injury.
Another chance for Real was created at the 83rd with a close range shot from defender Pepe, but City goalkeeper Joe Hart was able to make a magnificent save.
Belgian winger Kevin De Bruyne was particularly impressive for Manuel Pellegrini's side, giving Real goal tender Keylor Navas two scares late in the game.
The first one was a long range strike from De Bruyne from 30 yards out at the 88th minute that the Costa Rican calmly blocked while the second was a wild shot that Navas tipped over the crossbar during stoppage time.
Daily Mail Online indicated that Ronaldo is training with his teammates since Sunday and would be returning in the lineup in this second leg match with the Citizens.
Local newspaper Marca had a headline that read "the cannon is ready", referring to the Portugal captain's striking power and also mentioning that he "no longer feels pain in his muscle". It was also said that the 31-year-old Madeira, Portugal native is "euphoric" after he passed the club's fitness test and was given the go-signal to participate on Wednesday night's fixture.
Playing at home and with their best player back in uniform gives Los Blancos a huge upperhand in this contest.
The predicted result is a 2-0 win for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Manchester City starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Navas, De Bruyne, Silva; Agüero
