Hosting Manchester City, Real Madrid Faces a Grey Atmosphere at the Bernabeu

MADRID, TUESDAY – A gray atmosphere envelops Real Madrid as they prepare for the arrival of Manchester City at the Bernabeu Stadium for the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, Thursday (12/10/2025) at 03:00 WIB. Injuries to several players and unsatisfactory performance pose challenges for Real Madrid's Coach Alvaro Arbeloa.

Spanish media reported that Real will not be reinforced by their main striker, Kylian Mbappe, in the first match against City. Although he has returned to Madrid after undergoing a series of medical treatments in Paris, France, for a knee injury over the past week, Mbappe has not yet trained with his teammates.

The captain of the French national team is still training separately. In fact, as of Monday (9/3/2026), the team doctor of "Los Blancos" has not yet given the green light for Mbappe to make contact with the ball.

With a tally of 13 goals from eight matches in this season's Champions League, Mbappe has proven to be crucial for Real's attacking line. During the group stage, Mbappe was absent only once due to a minor injury. That moment occurred when Real lost 1-2 to City at the Bernabeu on December 11.

In addition to being overshadowed by a blunt front line that could threaten their ambition to achieve victory, Real also lost Jude Bellingham, Alvaro Carreras, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Rodrygo. Particularly without Bellingham, Arbeloa has limitations in developing the midfield.

The options for the midfielder position are Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde. These three players have the opportunity to be supported by Edoardo Camavinga, who has been sidelined for the last two matches due to dental issues, as well as young midfielder Thiago Pitarch.

Meanwhile, in the offensive sector, Vinicius Junior is the main asset who is 100 percent fit. Gonzalo Garcia, Brahim Diaz, and Franco Mastantuono are options for Arbeloa to partner with Vinicius.

In the midst of a situation with a limited squad depth, Arbeloa conveyed a message to his team that player selection is based on the motivation of each player. He demanded the members of Los Blancos to be willing to deliver their best and flawless performance against City.

"I'm very pleased with the performance of the players who truly want to play. In the current situation, I've seen a number of players pushing themselves to the limit in every match," said Arbeloa, as reported by Marca, Tuesday (March 10, 2026).

The magical individual performances often serve as a solution for Real in difficult situations during a match. This was evident when they faced Celta Vigo last weekend. Tchouameni and Valverde emerged as the providers of three points for Real amidst a poor attacking display.

In addition to the resilient mentality in the Champions League and the support from the fans at Bernabeu, these two factors could serve as a motivation for the Real squad to achieve a positive result against City. Despite being in a less than ideal situation, Arbeloa remains optimistic that Real can conquer City, the guests from England.

"We must welcome City with a different performance compared to previous matches. I am confident that we can do better," said Arbeloa, who will make his tactical debut against Pep Guardiola, the coach of "The Citizens."

Unlike Real's condition, which is marked by shortages, City arrives in Madrid with a situation much better than in December. The options for City players are increasingly diverse, which will assist Guardiola in having many tactical approach choices to regain the aggregate advantage from the Spanish capital.

The prime condition of striker Erling Haaland, who rested during the FA Cup match against Newcastle United on Sunday (8/3/2026 WIB), will be highly beneficial for City. Moreover, City possesses a very strong depth in the offensive sector.

Omar Marmoush can serve as a deputy to Haaland effectively. City also arrived in Madrid with the performances of Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki continuously improving after the turn of the year.

In addition, City has two new key players who arrived during the January transfer window, namely Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi. Seven goals and two assists serve as evidence that Semenyo has adapted well to Guardiola's system. He is set to become a nightmare for Real at the Bernabeu.

Guehi will also strive to prove himself against Vinicius. City also has a versatile player in Nico O’Reilly. The 20-year-old has already scored four goals and provided one assist since taking on a new role as a left winger.

Guardiola stated that the match against Real is a good test for his players to assess their performance level during this crucial time of the season. The Citizens, along with Arsenal, are the only teams still competing in four competitions, namely the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and the EFL Cup.

"The more we face the best teams in the world, the more we learn, and the more important it is to improve and be better in the future," Guardiola said, as reported by the BBC.

He added, "We are heading to Madrid and then trying to make decisions that are fair. Hopefully, we can act and show our true selves."

One thing that Guardiola and his squad are pursuing from the Bernabeu is victory. If they can win, it would be the first opportunity for The Citizens to achieve consecutive victories at Real's home ground.

"We want to show a very good and outstanding performance at the highest level. We feel good and strong," said City defender, Ruben Dias, as reported on the club's website.

On the same day, two English representatives will also compete in the round of 16 of the Champions League. They are Arsenal, who will visit Bayer Leverkusen, and Chelsea, who will challenge the defending champion PSG in Paris. Another match features a clash of dark horses, Bodo/Glimt against Sporting. (AFP)