Real Madrid’s team concerns ahead of City showdown

Here are the key talking points ahead of Real Madrid’s huge game against Manchester City.

The best eleven will play for Real Madrid against Manchester City. While that may sound obvious, it’s not a given. The favorable result from the first leg (2-3) and City’s difficult moment might have tempted some rotation—nothing drastic, just minor changes. But no. Absolutely not.

Ancelotti, though experienced enough to handle nerves, doesn’t want any surprises on Wednesday. Not even a small one. To that end, he’ll put all his best options on the table. Although a few decisions remain, his selection criterion is simple: whoever is in the best form will play.

The Vini Jr, Mbappé, Rodrygo and Bellingham quartet are responsible for 67% of the team’s goals—two-thirds of Madrid’s tally—shared across eight boots. Collectively, they’ve scored 66 goals this season across all competitions, helping Real Madrid approach the 100-goal milestone.

Two goals tomorrow would hit the century mark. Ancelotti will rely on his sharpshooters, an attack led by Mbappé with 25 goals this season. The turning point for him came in December. By then, he had just nine goals, marked by some peaks (like a four-game scoring streak in September) but also extended dry spells. There were doubts and criticism—until December ended that “adaptation period.” Since then, he’s netted 16 goals, including a derby goal, one in El Clásico, and a recent strike against City.

Behind Mbappé is Vinicius, the team’s second-highest scorer. However, his situation is the opposite—he’s in a scoring slump. Despite his ability to break down defenses, dribble past opponents, and create chaos on the wing, the goals have dried up. He hasn’t scored since 22 January against Salzburg, going five games without finding the net. That stretch coincides with the suspension he served (two matches in La Liga for a red card at Mestalla and one in the Champions League due to card accumulation).

His league form is even more concerning—he hasn’t scored since 9 November against Osasuna, the same day Militão was injured. But this is the Champions League, and Vinicius continues to shine in Europe. Tomorrow, Rico Lewis’ nightmare will return to gallop down the Bernabéu pitch.

Vinicius will be accompanied by Rodrygo on the right. Rodrygo has 13 goals this season, making him the team’s third-highest scorer. He’s also one of the squad’s most in-form players, brimming with confidence and critical for breaking down defenses on the right flank. Despite playing nearly 500 fewer minutes, he’s outscored Bellingham (11 goals).

Though Rodrygo prefers playing centrally, he’ll sacrifice for the team, as Ancelotti emphasized. Bellingham, meanwhile, will play in his usual advanced midfield role—if it can even be called that. He’s more of a free spirit on the pitch.

The rest of the lineup holds few mysteries. Ceballos will return to the midfield engine room after resting in Pamplona, and Mendy will start at left back. Despite a shaky season, Mendy remains the go-to man for big nights ahead of Fran García. Valverde will continue on the right wing after working separately in training yesterday as a precaution—there’s no injury concern. The only lingering question is whether Rüdiger will start.

If not, Asensio is the top candidate to replace him, although returning Tchouameni to midfield is also an option. The final lineup is still taking shape, but it will undoubtedly be the best eleven—a lineup for glory. Ancelotti is going all in.