May 17, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid’s team announcement for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester City has caused a stir, as Antonio Rudiger has been relegated to the bench.
The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Vinicius Junior giving Real Madrid the lead before Kevin De Bruyne equalised for the English champions with a stunning strike in the second half. During the initial encounter, Rudiger’s impressive performance against Erling Haaland drew praise, as the Norwegian striker struggled to make an impact against the former Chelsea defender.
Speculation had been rife that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola might spring a surprise in his lineup for the crucial second leg. However, it is Carlo Ancelotti who has made the unexpected move, replacing Rudiger with Eder Militao in the starting XI. The Brazilian defender returns to action after serving a suspension in the first leg.
Apart from this change, Real Madrid’s lineup remains unchanged from the previous match against Manchester City. However, Ancelotti did make several alterations to the team that secured a 1-0 victory over Getafe in La Liga last Saturday. When asked about returning to the Etihad Stadium after the first-leg draw, Rudiger’s response was unequivocal: “We are Real Madrid, we are always confident.”
The match kicks off at 8 pm local time at the grounds of the blue side of Manchester with a place in the final against Inter Milan awaiting the side that emerges triumphant at the end of hostilities.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
