Manchester City will head into their second leg against Real Madrid as the underdogs after being beaten 3-2 in the first leg and the Spanish giants were given another boost after Antonio Rudiger returned to fitness
Antonio Rudiger
Real Madrid have been given a huge boost ahead of their clash against Manchester City with Antonio Rudiger back in training
Real Madrid have been handed a huge boost ahead of their Champions League play-off second leg against Manchester City after key defender Antonio Rudiger returned to training.

The German centre-back has been one of Madrid's most reliable players this season after starting 21 times for Carlo Ancelotti's men in La Liga, though he has missed the team's last five matches with a muscle injury.

But the 31-year-old looked raring to go again after being pictured working hard in training under the watchful eye of Ancelotti. Rudiger is expected to be available to face City when Pep Guardiola's men travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg on Wednesday.

City face an uphill task in the Spanish capital after losing the first clash 3-2 at the Etihad, despite twice taking the lead through Erling Haaland. Madrid left Manchester with the advantage after Jude Bellingham capitalised on a City collapse to score an injury-time winner.


Rudiger will massively boost Madrid, who have struggled with injuries in defence this season after losing right-back Dani Carvajal and centre-back Eder Militao for the season. David Alaba and Lucas Vasquez, who has been playing as a makeshift right-back, are also sidelined.

The former Chelsea man has played 136 times for Madrid since joining in 2022, helping the team win the Copa de Rey in his first season before being part of the team that won the La Liga and Champions League double last season.

Guardiola certainly won't be pleased to hear of Madrid getting another key player back fit after giving a gloomy outlook for City's prospects in the second leg. The Spaniard said his side had just a "one per cent" chance of overcoming the Spanish giants following a turbulent season that has seen them slip away from the Premier League title race.

Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti
Pep Guardiola this week claimed City had just a "one per cent chance" of overcoming Real Madrid in the Champions League
Speaking after their 4-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday, he said: "Of course the victory helps us, but the margin to win at the Bernabeu, in that position, everybody knows that if you ask before the game, the percentage to go through, I don't know, when we arrive, is one per cent.

"It will be minimal, but as much as you have a chance, we will try, that's for sure, you know? So we're going there, like always, like we have done, but this season, the reality is that we have been miles and miles away.

"We finished 22nd in the Champions League table, but if we had performed like we did today, of course not, we would have finished higher. But we have been really, really poor in performances and in the results this season and just for one game, today, we played really well.

"It's not going to change the opinion, the reality of where the team is right now, and we're still not good, in terms of day-by-day, being that. But, of course, it's better to travel to Madrid with this result, than with a defeat.

"So the chance is minor, because the result was not good. With five minutes to go, with it being 2-1, it would be different, but losing 3-2, the chances are less, but as much as you have a chance, we're going to take it, and we'll see what happens."

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/realmadrid-boost-mancity-pepguardiola-admission-34694273

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They won at last 😂😂
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Hala madrid
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