At 03:00 a.m. Beijing time on April 18, the second leg of the Champions League 1|4 finals will stage a much-anticipated pinnacle battle, with the Blue Moon Army Manchester City hosting La Liga squad Real Madrid.
Although Manchester City is much higher than Real Madrid on paper (Manchester City's total value is 12.7 euros, the first in the world; Real Madrid's total value is 1.04 billion euros, ranking third in the world), but the actual combat effectiveness is almost the same. In the first leg between the two sides in midweek, Manchester City played Real Madrid away and staged a goal shootout, and in the end, Manchester City drew 3-3 with Real Madrid, taking advantage of nothing. This time back at home against Real Madrid, Manchester City has no way to retreat, must win the game, step on Real Madrid's corpse to advance to the Champions League semi-finals;
So, for Manchester City, it's a real life-and-death battle. If you win, you live, and if you lose, you die. Even if the past head-to-head record shows that Manchester City has a great advantage in the last 8 meetings with Real Madrid with 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, the past glorious record only represents history, and it is still difficult to say whether Guardiola can beat Ancelotti, an evergreen in the coaching world, in the next battle against Real Madrid.
However, just before this pinnacle battle, Pep Guardiola ushered in an exciting piece of good news. According to the latest report from The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, Manchester City's main right wing-back Kyle Walker has returned from injury and it is no surprise that he is ready to play in this crucial clash with Real Madrid.
Kyle Walker previously missed three weeks with a hamstring injury and also missed the first leg away from Real Madrid. Now, his return from injury is undoubtedly great news for Manchester City. Kyle Walker's importance to Manchester City is self-evident, not only does he have a leaky defence, but he also has a super forward push and the ability to create an offensive attack up front. Statistics show that in the past six seasons, in addition to defending well on the right side, he has also contributed a total of six goals and 21 assists for the Blue Moon Army. So far this season, Kyle Walker has made 38 appearances for City, starting 37 times, and providing three assists. It can be described as a super flying wing with both offense and defense. As long as Kyle Walker is injury-free, he will be an indispensable man for Guardiola's lineup.
So, before such a crucial game, Kyle Walker returned from injury, which was a relief for Manchester City. It is believed that Kyle Walker's strong comeback will greatly increase the probability of Manchester City winning Real Madrid. Finally, I hope Kyle Walker can live up to the expectations of the fans and help Manchester City overcome the opponent.