Manchester City is set to face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final for a third consecutive season. In preparation, Real Madrid has unveiled their strategy to ensure key players Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois are fit and ready for the match next month.
City secured their spot in a seventh-successive quarter-final draw after an impressive 6-2 aggregate win over FC Copenhagen in the last 16. The English team was drawn against Spanish giants, Real Madrid, for the quarter-finals. If they advance past this stage, they could potentially face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
This will be the third season running where Cityzens will clash with Real Madrid. The teams have had a history of intense matches, including a heart-wrenching semi-final exit by City during the 2021/22 season.
Madrid to play friendlies in international break for preparation
The two-legged tie matches are scheduled to take place one week apart in April. With such an important game on hand, Los Blancos (Real Madrid) are concerned about two of their key players - Militao and Courtois - who have been dealing with fitness issues recently.
According to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano, La Liga club has planned friendly games during next week's international break as part of their strategy. These games will serve as fitness tests for both Militao and Courtois ahead of Manchester City's visit.
Sports journalist, Fabrizio Romano, said:
"They have started working with the team this week, we will take advantage of this break to do friendlies against the youth team," manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday. "I think they will be ready for the match on the 31st (against Athletic Bilbao). We won’t take any risks. They are doing very well."
The first leg tie at Santiago Bernabeu is slated to be played on April 9 at 8pm local time while the second leg is scheduled for April 17 at 8pm local time. Both teams are gearing up intensively for these crucial matches that could determine their fate in this year’s Champions League tournament. For sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike, these matches promise to be thrilling encounters filled with high stakes and intense competition.
