Carlo Ancelotti has been around the block. He knows what his side will have to endure on Wednesday night to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Real Madrid have a lead to protect at the Metropolitano, but their advantage is slender. They would’ve felt a whole lot better about themselves as Kylian Mbappe found Vinicius Junior’s feet in stoppage time last week to turn a 2-1 victory into a more comfortable triumph.
Diego Simeone’s side will come on immensely strong on home soil, and we’ve seen Ancelotti-led teams suffer across the capital in the past. This means a whole lot to the city, and the victors of this tie will fancy themselves to reach the showpiece event in Munich despite the projected difficulty of their journey.
Here’s how Real Madrid could line up for Wednesday’s round of 16 second leg.
GK: Thibaut Courtois – The Belgian goalkeeper was one of several Madrid players to miss out at the weekend, with Andriy Lunin starting against Rayo Vallecano, but a minor knee injury is not expected to keep him on the sidelines.
RB: Federico Valverde – Valverde is developing into a legitimately world-class right-back. The Uruguayan relishes these sorts of occasions.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – Rudiger has taken a little bit of time to rediscover his groove after returning from injury, and Madrid need the most dominant iteration of the German to manifest across town.
CB: Raul Asencio – The young defender has rarely looked fazed at the start of his senior career, but he’ll be tested by a rapturous Metropolitano on Wednesday.
LB: Ferland Mendy – Mendy will be rotated back into the side after Fran Garcia got 90 minutes under his belt on Sunday.
CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – The French midfielder has been superb as of late, relishing his return to the middle of the park having spent a chunk of the season at centre-back.
CM: Eduardo Camavinga – Tchouameni will be partnered by Camavinga, who’s a reported Manchester City transfer target for the summer. He typically produces his best under the bright European lights.
RW: Rodrygo – The Brazilian got the ball rolling in the first leg with an outstanding strike. He tore Javi Galan apart early on, and Simeone will surely make a concerted effort to shun Rodrygo on Wednesday.
AM: Jude Bellingham – Bellingham picked up a knock at the weekend but will be fine for the second leg. The Englishman missed the first leg through suspension, and Madrid missed his running power and ability to crash the box.
LW: Vinicius Junior – Ancelotti hasn’t trusted the likes of Arda Guler this season, so Vini Jr got through 90 minutes on Sunday. Still, the Brazilian, who was kept relatively quiet last week, has a huge role to play in transition here.
ST: Kylian Mbappe – Mbappe was also subdued in the first leg, but Madrid acquired his services for him to deliver on these big nights. He scored his 18th La Liga goal at the weekend.
