Real Madrid News
Man United legend believes Man City will ‘blow Real Madrid away’ in the UCL
Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has said that Manchester City are not only capable of beating Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final but they are good enough to ‘blow them away’.
Real Madrid host Man City in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, May 9, and judging by the current form, one might argue that the Los Blancos are, in fact, the second favourites.
For what it is worth, City have not lost a game since early February. Ever since losing 0-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the league, the Premier League champions have gone on to win 17 of their last 20 games while drawing three.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, will head into the fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final. Their form, however, has been a bit shaky, to say the very least.
Before taking on Osasuna, the team had lost 0-2 to Real Sociedad in La Liga and also went down 2-4 against Girona. In April, Carlo Ancelotti’s men played nine games, out of which they ended up on the losing side on two occasions.
Writing in his column for The Times, Manchester United’s all-time topscorer, Wayne Rooney, said that although there is no side better at disproving arguments, City are currently on ‘another level’.
“Manchester City will not just beat Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final — they’ll blow them away,” the former England international wrote.
“Of course, I may be wrong. There is no side better at disproving arguments against them than Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid in the Champions League. But I just think City are so good that they’re on another level,” he added.
One must remember that Madrid defied odds last season when they got the better of City in the same round. This year, however, Rooney believes that the tables have turned.
“A year ago, Madrid put City out of the competition at this stage but the dynamics are different now. City are better at the back and a more patient team who, in the Champions League, have been playing like they have learnt from their European experiences,” he concluded.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid hope captain will resume group training tomorrow and be ready for Villarreal
Real Madrid received a major boost in training today as Kylian Mbappe participated in the group session, indicating his readiness for the upcoming game against Villarreal.
The French superstar had returned from international duty with a knee injury, but seems to have left it behind and appears ready to start at the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday.
What about Federico Valverde?
Now, according to AS, Federico Valverde was not part of the group training session today at Valdebebas. Instead, he was involved in an individual session away from his teammates.
However, Real Madrid hope that their club captain will be able to resume working with the rest of the squad on Thursday, putting him in the fray to return in time for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal.
Valverde is currently recovering from an ankle sprain that he sustained in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid prior to the international break.
The Uruguayan midfielder was on the receiving end of a harsh tackle from Kang-In Lee, which left him injured, ruling him out of action for the national team.
The 28-year-old stayed behind in Madrid and has worked hard on his recovery, with things progressing in the right direction.
What now remains to be seen is whether he can jump back into group training session on Thursday, which would put him on the path to return to action against Villarreal.
A key player for Mourinho
So far this season, Valverde has emerged as a permanent fixture in the team under new manager Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid captain has started all of the team’s eight matches in all competitions this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
His potential availability for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal will come as a major boost for Mourinho & co. Everything will depend on how things progress in tomorrow’s training session at Valdebebas.
With Ibrahima Konate also recovering from his knee sprain, Real Madrid have only three players sidelined currently: Raul Asencio, who recently underwent surgery, Rodrygo Goes, who is a long-term absentee, and Ferland Mendy, who has resumed work with the ball.
