Madrid, March 10 – Real Madrid has a significant portion of its season at stake, and coach Alvaro Arbeloa faces a crucial decision when Manchester City visits the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday night.
Real Madrid enters the match four points behind FC Barcelona in La Liga, but knowing that the Champions League has traditionally been the club's favorite competition and that success in Europe can alleviate any domestic problems, Xinhua reported.
However, an early exit from the tournament could be a major setback for a Real Madrid coach, and Arbeloa will know that failing to get past Manchester City will mean the end of his tenure at the end of the season.
The clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City is starting to become a classic Champions League encounter, with the two sides meeting every year since 2022.
In the 2022 season, Real Madrid pulled off a miraculous late comeback with Rodrygo scoring twice in injury time to force an extra 30 minutes, where Karim Benzema put Real Madrid into the final with a penalty.
Manchester City took its revenge the following year with a 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, before the 2024 campaign saw Real Madrid knock out Pep Guardiola's team after a penalty shoot-out.
The two teams met in the group stage last season, with Real Madrid beating a struggling Manchester City both in Europe and domestically, but the tables turned again in December when Manchester City enjoyed a 2-1 victory in the Santiago Bernabeu, which was easier than the final score suggests.
Arbeloa has a long list of injuries to contend with, as left-back Alvaro Carreras became the latest casualty with a calf injury. He joins Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Kylian Mbappe on the injury list, with Eduardo Camavinga also doubtful after suffering a dental problem that left him unable to play away to Celta Vigo on Friday night.
The loss of Mbappe, with his niggling knee problem, and Rodrygo, who is out for several months after tearing his cruciate knee ligament, means Vinicius Jr will again carry the weight of the Real Madrid attack, while Arbeloa has to decide whether to show faith in Trent Alexander Arnold, who adds creativity for Real Madrid, but is more vulnerable defensively than Dani Carvajal.
Elsewhere, Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio will play in central defense, with Aurelien Tchouameni in the midfield holding role he has made his own this season. The Frenchman will have to be careful, as he and Vinicius are a yellow card away from suspension, and their absence for next week's return leg in Manchester would be a major blow for Real Madrid and Arbeloa.