Manchester City's "best chance" of quelling the "almighty threat" of Real Madrid in the Champions League could be to select almost the same defence that excelled during their treble-winning season, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.
Pep Guardiola's side have struggled defensively throughout this season as a result of injury issues and a notable drop-off in form, conceding 53 goals across all competitions including 14 in eight League Phase fixtures in the Champions League.
The reigning Premier League champions required a comeback victory over Club Brugge on matchday eight to avoid elimination from the Champions League and to set up a blockbuster two-legged playoff with holders Real Madrid.
Los Blancos will travel to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday for the first leg and Carlo Ancelotti is expected to start formidable attacking trio Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who have scored an impressive 50 goals combined in all tournaments this term.
McInerney fears that Real Madrid could have "an awful lot of joy" against Man City, particularly down the Citizens' right-hand side, and Guardiola's side may favour an open, end-to-end "shootout" against a Los Blancos side without five injured defenders.
"I don't think it's going to be tight. I don't think these two teams know how to. Madrid currently are without a whole bunch of defenders," McInerney told Sports Mole.
Can Man City stop Vini Jr, Rodrygo, Mbappe and co?
"As concerning as it'd be for Real Madrid (to be without five injured defenders), they've still got Vini Jr, Mbappe, [Jude] Bellingham, Rodrygo, [Federico] Valverde, the rest of them, to offer an almighty threat, and I'm sure they will do.
"I think City's best chance here, because we're not going to be able to stop them, is if it turns into something of a shootout and we just do it better. Maybe I'm wrong and Guardiola will want control, but I just don't see a world in which Vinicius Jr isn't going to get an awful lot of joy out of [Matheus] Nunes or [Manuel] Akanji on [City's right] side.
"I think it might be Akanji, my gut tells me that if Stones and Dias will start, I think Akanji might be a right-back given Nunes's form defensively, [but] I don't see how they're not going to get a lot of joy out of us, because we're so bad on the transition these days.
"[Real Madrid's injuries and weakened defence] will play into City's hands. If Savinho turns up, if [Erling] Haaland has one of his days, [Kevin] De Bruyne always loves games against Real Madrid, [Omar] Marmoush could make himself a superstar with a big goal. I think it's going to be a bit of a shootout. I expect the game will give itself the momentum that City will need.
"The fact that it's at home (helps City). I am nervous about this tie. I can't pretend otherwise, even with Real Madrid's injuries. I think they have too much quality, too much Champions League experience, so much electric pace out wide, that I think Rodrigo and Vini Jr and Mbappe will give us a nightmare.
"I'm just hoping that City find a little bit of magic themselves. Our best-case scenario is to just score as many goals as they do. We're not going to be able to keep a clean sheet. They will score two or three Real, so we're going to have to do the same, and the fact that some of their defenders are not there gives us a chance to do that. I am anxious, though. I've got a bad feeling about this game overall."
Guardiola successfully steered Man City to their first Champions League triumph in 2023, with defensive quartet Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake all starting in a memorable 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the final.
© IconSport
Guardiola to revert to treble-winning defence against Real Madrid?
Kyle Walker was notably left out of that lineup, and the experienced defender has since left the club, joining AC Milan on loan for the rest of the season, leaving City light in the right-back department.
Guardiola has experimented with Nunes at right-back since Walker's departure, but McInerney feels that the Portuguese "has no defensive instincts at all" and City cannot win the Champions League if he continues in his makeshift defensive role.
Now that Man City are almost at full strength in defence, Guardiola may consider moving Akanji over to right-back against Real Madrid, with Stones and Dias in contention to operate as central defenders, while Gvardiol is set to be recalled at left-back, unless Ake recovers in time to take his place in the back four.
Asked whether Guardiola will find a way to nullify the threat of Real Madrid's attackers, McInerney said: "I don't think we can really stop them. We can just sort of hope for the best.
"I think the fact that Dias played the other day against Leyton Orient for 45 minutes and Josko Gvardiol had a big old rest, Nathan Ake apparently was back in training the other day - I don't know if he'd be available for this, but if he is, that would be huge - he wasn't on the bench against Leyton Orient, so I suspect he won't be.
"Josko Gvardiol has had a full rest, Akanji had a full rest. John Stones and Dias rotated 45 minutes each. They both looked fine. I think our best chance (of stopping Real Madrid) is rolling it back to the closest we've got to that treble-winning defence.
© Imago
Akanji to start ahead of Nunes at right-back?
"I know they haven't played much together these days and it's all very different in terms of age and personnel and form and so on, but I think if you can get Gvardiol - ideally Ake at left-back, I don't think that will happen - but Josko and then Dias and Stones reigniting that old partnership from two or three years ago, which conquered hearts and minds, and then Akanji at right-back maybe, because I think Nunes has struggled.
"Akanji has struggled this season as well, but I do wonder if Dias alongside him, John Stones alongside him, if that will make a difference and he can try and shut down that right-hand side again, because he's a better one-on-one defender, by a long way, than someone like Nunes.
"I think that's our best bet there (to stop Real Madrid's attackers). Also, [Mateo] Kovacic has had a rest and if somehow he manages to have an all-time defensive game alongside - hopefully - Nico Gonzalez, because if he's available, that changes it a little bit. Then you can let those guys just sit back and defend and hope for a little bit of magic from the likes of Haaland, De Bruyne, Foden, whoever up front."
"I think our best bet, really, is that our defenders win their one-on-one battles, because I don't feel we're going to stop them on the transition for the middle too much," McInerney added. "It's going to take some real last-ditch defending or just experienced leadership, or City find a way to control the ball, which we haven't done much this season.
"I just hope Dias and Ake are essentially available. That would help an awful lot, and Akanji finds some of his best form again."
McInerney has also shared his thoughts on how Man City could line up in attack, with Savinho, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Kevin De Bruyne among those pushing for a start in the final third with striker Erling Haaland, who is expected to return after being rested at the weekend.
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion ahead of Man City's Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Oliver Thomas
