Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting lineup vs Manchester City | UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid will be aiming to seal their place in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals as they get set to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
With a 3-0 lead from the first leg of the Round of 16, Alvaro Arbeloa & co. enter into tonight’s game with a major advantage and will be looking to finish the job.
Ahead of kickoff in over an hour, the Real Madrid manager has announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Pep Guardiola’s side. There are two changes made to the lineup that faced Elche in La Liga.
Arda Guler, who scored a wonder-goal after coming on as a substitute over the weekend, reclaims his starting berth from Eduardo Camavinga.
The Turkish sensation is a part of Real Madrid’s four-man midfield setup along with Aurelien Tchouameni, teenage prodigy Thiago Pitarch, and captain Federico Valverde, who scored a hat-trick in the first leg.
The second change to the team comes in defence where Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Dani Carvajal at right-back.
Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen pair up at central defence, while Fran Garcia starts at left-back again, with Alvaro Carreras not fully ready to be named in the starting XI. Thibaut Courtois continues in goal.
Up top, despite Kylian Mbappe’s return, Arbeloa has opted not to take any risks with the Frenchman. As such, Brahim Diaz and Vinicius Jr. start for Real Madrid.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 17, 2026
🆚 @ManCityES pic.twitter.com/t2LgNBR4ug
Real Madrid News
English legend backs Real Madrid star to become one of the all-time greats: ‘He’s got everything’
Jude Bellingham has spent the past fortnight as the most talked-about footballer in England, and the superlatives show no sign of slowing down.
A masterclass in the Nations League, a clutch of records and a second straight Player of the Year award has not gone unnoticed in English footballing media.
Now one of the English game’s most respected voices has added his name to the growing list of believers.
Lineker backs Bellingham
Asked whether Bellingham can go on to become one of the greatest players of all time, England legend Gary Lineker left no room for doubt.
“Yes, I’ve been saying it for a long time now. If he avoids serious injury or falls of the rails which he won’t I’m sure.
“He’s so good at football, he’s got everything. He’s a superstar and carries himself like a superstar,” he said (h/t Track Radio).
The verdict chimes comes in the midst of a wider chorus of acclaim in recent days. Roy Keane tipped him to become one of the greatest of all time after the Croatia rout, with Ian Wright and Micah Richards among others queuing up to praise him.
Backed by the numbers
The acclaim for Bellingham comes on the back of an extraordinary international break for Bellingham.
Against Croatia, Bellingham scored one and created three in the 7-0 win, becoming the first England player to record four goal involvements in a single game since David Platt in 1993.
He finished the window with one goal and four assists and was named UEFA’s Player of the Round.
That international excellence has carried over to the Bernabeu, where he has settled into a free number 10 role under Jose Mourinho and sits as the club’s joint-leading creator.
Bellingham was part of Real Madrid’s recent 1-0 win over Villarreal as well, and was unlucky not to register an assist when Vinicius Jr.’s goal was disallowed.
The Englishman will be looking to make an impact once again when Real Madrid take on AS Roma this Wednesday.
