Real Madrid is hoping to supply one final magical Champions League evening on the Santiago Bernabéu this season.
After coming from behind at residence to get by Paris Saint-Germain within the final 16 and defending champion Chelsea within the quarterfinals, Madrid must rally previous Manchester City to return to the ultimate for the primary time because it gained its report thirteenth European Cup title in 2018.
Madrid misplaced 4-3 within the first leg in England, when it trailed by two targets three totally different instances.
The match in opposition to Man City comes solely 4 days after Madrid celebrated profitable the Spanish league title on the famed stadium. The membership hadn’t clinched a title on the Bernabéu in 15 years. The 2020 league trophy was secured at an empty Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium on the staff’s coaching middle due to the coronavirus pandemic.
💬 @lukamodric10 “There’s a very good ambiance within the dressing room and we’re actually wanting ahead to the sport. We know what we’ve got to do and that it is our most necessary recreation of the season. We need to put in our greatest efficiency and are able to do exactly that.”#UCL pic.twitter.com/iRbsdoomwX
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 3, 2022
The most important celebrations on the Bernabéu this season got here in the course of the staff’s run to the Champions League semifinals.
The first was in opposition to PSG, when Madrid regarded overwhelmed after shedding the primary leg 1-0 and conceding early within the return recreation within the Spanish capital. The hosts rallied, nevertheless, with a second-half hat trick by Karim Benzema.
With one other hat trick by Benzema, Madrid gained the primary leg in opposition to Chelsea 3-1 in England, however went down 3-0 on the Bernabéu earlier than a shocking comeback in additional time allowed it to make the Champions League semifinals for the tenth time in 12 seasons.
Madrid superior 5-4 on mixture regardless of that 3-2 loss, which was solely its third on the Bernabéu in 22 residence matches in all competitions this season. The others have been a 2-1 setback in opposition to Moldovan membership Sheriff within the group stage of the Champions League, and a demoralizing 4-0 loss to Barcelona within the Spanish league in March.
Madrid this season has 15 wins, 4 attracts and three losses on the stadium, which stays beneath renovation however welcomed the return of followers after the staff performed final season on the smaller Di Stéfano.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti isn’t more likely to depend on defender David Alaba on Wednesday due to a muscle damage sustained within the first half of the match in Manchester. Nacho Fernández is predicted to exchange him and play alongside facet Éder Militão. Nacho and Militão didn’t play within the league match on Saturday due to suspensions.
Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale additionally are usually not anticipated to make it to Wednesday’s match, however Ancelotti in any other case may have a full-strength squad accessible. The solely doubt remaining is whether or not he’ll play with Rodrygo or Federico Valverde.
Rodrygo, who scored twice within the title-winning recreation on Saturday, would make the staff extra harmful offensively, whereas Valverde would assist extra within the midfield.
Man City is attempting to make it to its second consecutive Champions League last after shedding the title decider to Chelsea final season.
