5 reasons Manchester City will defeat Real Madrid

1. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema injury doubts for Tuesday’s 1st leg

The Blancos star player and talisman, Ronaldo, was absent as Madrid squeezed past Rayo Vallecano 3-2 at the weekend. Ronaldo picked up a thigh strain in Wednesday’s convincing win over Villarreal, and it isn’t known whether he will be able to recover in time to play at the Etihad on Tuesday. Benzema started Saturday’s match at Rayo, but limped off just before half time with what appeared to be a thigh strain just like Ronaldo’s. Zidane has remained positive about the pair’s chances, particularly Benzema’s, but it remains touch-and-go whether they feature at all.

Even if the duo are given the green light to play, it is doubtful that they will be in peak physical condition, and may therefore be less effective than usual. Considering that Real relied on their number 7 to singlehandedly drag them through their quarter-final tie with Wolfsburg (Ronaldo’s marvellous hat trick in the second leg at the Bernabeu was enough to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Germany), City will surely be licking their lips at the prospect of facing the Spanish giants minus two of their most dangerous forwards. With Vincent Kompany expected to return to the starting lineup alongside Eliaquim Mangala, the City defence might not be in for as tricky an evening as they might have expected when the draw for the semi-final occurred.

Next: An injury return for City