MADRID (AP) – Boosted by Cristiano Ronaldo’s likely return and a nearly flawless home record, Real Madrid welcomes Manchester City on Wednesday with another Champions League final almost in its grasp.
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The 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Etihad Stadium – which Ronaldo missed with a hamstring injury – has the tie evenly poised as the two teams meet on Wednesday bidding to reach the final in Milan.
In addition to sitting out the first leg against Manchester City in England, which finished 0-0, he also missed two Spanish league games for title-chasing Madrid.
“Ronaldo and (Alvaro) Arbeloa completed the session with the group while Benzema was out running alone on the pitch”, Madrid said in a statement on Monday.
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands before the match.
Meanwhile, Juventus refused to let up despite having already won Serie A and notched their 25th win in their last 26 league games by beating Carpi 2-0.
Bale scored his 19th goal of the season in the 1-0 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday, his second successive match-winning display.
“City have good players, especially up front, but we’ll play our football as always”.
It’s unusual to think that a manager who delivered a league title in his first season, as well as the League Cup twice, hasn’t managed to win over the entire fan base, but there will be no more doubters if he leaves the club having claimed the biggest prize of all.
The value in backing Real is further enhanced when one accounts for the fact that they have progressed from 17 of 32 previous European Cup semi-final appearances and the Madrid club are unbeaten in their last nine games against English sides (W6 D3).
“We know it will be a tough challenge, but everything is possible”. “A very good team is coming to the Bernabeu, but we will try to progress to the final”.
In the last 16, City were given a favourable draw against Dynamo Kiev, and a fantastic 3-1 win away from home in the first leg set them on their way to a spot in the quarter finals.
“We have to apply all our focus for a Champions League semi-final but at the same time we have an opponent we know is going to make it hard”.
“It was great to see a player of his importance score a goal against Real Sociedad ahead of Wednesday”.
Whoever advances on Wednesday will play the final against Bayern Munich or Atletico Madrid, which met late Tuesday in Germany.
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“I always admired him as a player, and now as a coach as well, for how behaves, how he deals with the players”.
