Real Madrid vs Man City
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Wednesday, 26-02-2020 at 11:00pm
Ref: Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Manchester City heads into Wednesday’s game having never beaten Real Madrid. Thee two have have faced each other four times, each occasion in the Champions League, with City losing their two away games at Santiago Bernabeu and drawing the other two at the Etihad.
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling is available for the first
leg of their last-16 Champions League tie away at Real Madrid on
Wednesday. Sterling had been out for three weeks with a hamstring injury
and midfielder David Silva could also play at the Bernabeu after a
minor knee issue. Winger Leroy Sane is unavailable as he recovers from a
long-term knee problem. Aymeric Laporte is available after returning
this weekend.
Real forward Eden Hazard, who left Chelsea in June, could miss the rest
of the season with a fractured ankle. Gareth Bale is in contention to
play after overcoming illness.
Real Madrid have prevailed in their last four Champions League knockout ties against English opposition: 5-0 on aggregate v Tottenham (2010-11 quarter-finals), 3-2 v Manchester United (2012-13 last 16), 1-0 v Manchester City (2015-16 semi-finals), 3-1 v Liverpool (2017-18 final). They have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the 23rd consecutive season, the longest run in the history of the tournament and a streak that began in 1997-98. They have scored in each of their last 22 home games in the knockout stages of the Champions League; the last team to stop them from scoring were Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in the 2010-11 semi-finals (0-2). However, Real have failed to win their last three knockout matches at the Bernabeu (drawn one, lost two); they have never gone four matches in a row without a victory. Zinedine Zidane has won all 12 Champions League ties he has been involved in as Real Madrid manager (nine two-legged ties and three finals). He currently holds three Champions League trophies as manager, a joint record alongside Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti.
Manchester City are in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the seventh straight season, reaching at least the quarter-finals in three of the last four campaigns. They have been knocked out in each of their three previous Champions league two-legged ties against Spanish clubs: 1-4 on aggregate v Barcelona (2013-14 last 16), 1-3 v Barcelona (2014/15 last 16), 0-1 v Real Madrid (2015-16 semi-finals). Forward Raheem Sterling has scored 10 goals in his last 13 Champions League appearances – one more than in his previous 34 matches in the competition (nine). Only Lionel Messi (six) and Cristiano Ronaldo (five) scored more times than Sterling in last season’s knockout stages (four). Manager Pep Guardiola is facing Real Madrid in a Champions League knockout tie for the third time, with a third different club – he won 3-1 on aggregate with Barcelona in the 2010-11 semi-finals and he lost 5-0 on aggregate with Bayern Munich in the 2013-14 semi-finals.
Lyon vs Juventus
Groupama Stadium, Lyon
Wednesday, 26-02-2020 at 11:00pm
Ref: Jesus Gil (Spain)
After returning from injury, Giorgio Chiellini will hope to retain his place in the lineup on Wednesday. Miralem Pjanic is struglibg with injury so Rodrigo Bentancur couls start in the middle. Juventus manager has a selection headache as he decides on who to field among Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot.
Lyon have no major absentees apart from the long-term absentee Memphis Depay.
Lyon are winless against Juventus in European competition (D1 L3), losing both of their home games against the Italian side by the same 1-0 scoreline (2013-14 Europa League quarter-finals and in the 2016-17 Champions League group stages). Lyon have been eliminated by Italian opposition in the Champions League knockout stages on both previous occasions they have met: 3-1 on aggregate against AC Milan in 2005-06 (quarter-finals) and 2-0 against Roma in 2006-07 (round of 16). Meanwhile, Juventus have always progressed to the next round when facing French clubs in the knockout stages of the competition (4/4).
Lyon have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League more times than any other French club (11). However, it has been 10 years since they progressed past the round of 16 (2009-10). Indeed, they have scored only three goals in their last nine knockout games in the competition (W1 D2 L6). Seven of Lyon’s last eight Champions League home games have ended in a draw (W1), four of them with a 2-2 scoreline. Juventus were the last side to beat them on home soil in the competition, it was in October 2016 (1-0). Lyon won two of their six group games in this season’s Champions League (D2 L2), the lowest tally alongside Atalanta among the remaining 16 teams. Lyon posted an Expected Goals total of 7.8 in this season’s Champions League group phase (nine goals scored), the lowest total among the teams left in the competition. Memphis Depay (six goals, four assists) has been directly involved in 45% of Lyon’s Champions League goals since the start of last season (10/22) – however the French side will be without the Dutch forward for this match because of injury.
Juventus are in the Champions League knockout stages for the sixth successive season, their longest ever run. In the last five campaigns, they have made it past the round of 16 on four occasions, only failing to do so in 2015-16 when they were eliminated by Bayern Munich (6-4 aggregate). Juventus have lost only one of their last seven Champions League away games in the knockout phase (W4 D2), a 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid last season in the last 16. Among the seven players with 50+ goals in the Champions League, Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo is also the only one to have scored more goals in the knockout stages (65) than in the group phase (63). Indeed, he has also registered more assists in the competition versus Lyon (four) than any other side.
