Real Madrid vs Manchester City LIVE: Champions League line-ups as Bellingham starts and De Bruyne benched

Real Madrid and Manchester City will face off in the Champions League knockout stages for a third successive season, after meeting in the semi-finals of the 2021/22 and 2022/23 tournaments.

There were 17 goals scored across those previous four innings at an average of 4.3 goals per game. Real Madrid scored seven, Manchester City scored 10.

Tonight will be Carlo Ancelotti’s 200th Champions League match as a manager.

He has triumphed in 114 of his previous 199 fixtures in this competition, with his opposite number this evening, Guardiola, only just behind with 109 victories as a coach in this tournament.

No Kevin De Bruyne! That’s the main headline of Manchester City’s starting line-up.

Pep Guardiola makes four changes to the City team that started against Crystal Palace last time out. Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis, Julian Alvarez and De Bruyne all drop out.

In come Mateo Kovacic, Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden.

No. 1 goalkeeper Ederson starts on the bench again with Stefan Ortega preferred after playing the last four games for Man City.

Here’s the team Pep Guardiola has tasked with defeating Real Madrid tonight:

Man City XI: Ortega, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri, Kovacic, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ederson, Carson, Doku, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Susoho, Lewis

With the threats being made against tonight’s Uefa matches, security has been increased at every ground. Here’s a few photos from outside the Bernabeu ahead of kick off.

This week’s Champions League matches are set to take place as planned, with governing body Uefa issuing a statement on Tuesday to insist they are “aware” of threats allegedly being made in the build-up to the four fixtures regarding potential terrorist action.

Images circulating online had suggested that all four stadiums would be targeted across the two nights, with their origins unconfirmed but linked to the established terrorist organisation Isis.

Manchester City’s recent record against Spanish sides is top notch. They have lost only one of their last 12 competition matches against such teams with eight wins and three draws in that run.

As is their way, Real Madrid have posted their starting XI early. This is who will play against Manchester City tonight:

Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Tchouameni, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga, Bellingham; Vinícius, Rodrygo

Man City finished top of Group G in this season’s Champions League before beating Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, also won every game in the group stage, finishing eight points clear at the top of Group C before overcoming Leipzig 2-1 on aggregate in the last 16.

The Spanish side have won 16 of their 19 Champions League quarter-finals – including the last 11 – but face opponents whose 10-game winning run in the competition started with that second-leg success last season.

Can City beat Real once again but this time away from home?