Real Madrid has received a huge boost for their play-off second stage of the Champions League against Manchester City after important defender Antonio Rudiger returned to the training.
The German Center-Back was one of Madrid's most reliable players this season after starting 21 times for the men of Carlo Ancelotti in La Liga, although he missed the last five games of the team with a muscle injury.
But the 31-year-old looked like to go again after he was depicted, worked hard on training under the vigilant eye of Ancelotti. Rudiger is expected to be available for City when the men of Pep Guardiola travel to the Bernabeu for the second stage on Wednesday.
The city is confronted with a uphill task in the Spanish capital after losing the first collision 3-2 at Etihad, despite the fact that twice took the lead by Erling Haaland. Madrid left Manchester with the advantage after Jude Bellingham was in a city-oriented collapse to score an injury time winner.
Rudiger will boost Madrid en masse, who have struggled this season with injuries in the defense after losing right back Dani Carvajal and Center-back Eder Militao for the season. David Alaba and Lucas Vasquez, who played as an improvised right back, are also offside.
The former Chelsea -Man has played 136 times for Madrid since he was at the 2022 in 2022, so that the team De Rey wins in his first season before he was part of the team that won the La Liga and Champions League Double last season .
Guardiola will certainly not be happy to hear that Madrid gets another important player back after a gloomy view of the prospects of the city in the second stage. The Spaniard said his side only had a “one percent” chance to overcome the Spanish giants after a turbulent season that has seen them slip away from the Premier League title race.
Speaking after their 4-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday, he said: “Of course the victory helps us, but the margin to win in the Bernabeu, in that position everyone knows that if you ask for the game, the percentage to go By, I don't know, when we arrive, is a percent.
“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, as always, as we've done, but this season is the reality that we are miles and kilometers removed.
“We finished 22nd in the Champions League table, but if we had performed the way we did today, we would of course not have ended. But we were really, really bad in designs and in the results this season and only for a game, Today we played very well.
“It is not going to change the opinion, the reality of where the team is now, and we are still not good, in terms of day to day, that is that. But of course it is better to travel to Madrid with this result, Then with a defeat.
“So the chance is small, because the result was not good. With five minutes to go, with it 2-1, it would be different, but losing 3-2, the chances are less, but as much if you have one Chance, we will take it and we will see what happens. “
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