Manchester City's recent upturn in form, coupled with the return to fitness of key defenders, gives Pep Guardiola’s side a fighting chance against Real Madrid tonight, according to RTÉ soccer analyst Lisa Fallon.
A place in the last-16 of the Champions League is at stake when the tournament heavyweights meet at the Bernabeu (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player) tonight.
Last week Jude Bellingham grabbed a late winner as City twice surrendered the lead to lose the first leg of the play-off to continue a growing rivalry between the clubs who are meeting in a knockout tie for the fourth season in succession and the fifth time in six seasons.
A dramatic loss in domestic form has seen Guardiola’s side fall out of the Premier League title race, but speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland, Fallon believes City travel in more than simply hope, with the manager thriving as an "underdog".
"I think it really suits Pep," the FIFA technical advisor consultant said. "Man City have probably had a turn of form in the last couple of weeks. Their confidence is quietly growing.
"We’ve seen mind games from Pep which we don’t usually see. That comment, we only have a 1% chance to win this game and then in yesterday’s press conference he admitted he was lying.
"What is crucial is Erling Haaland is training after going off with a knee injury against Newcastle on Saturday. They also have Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Jack Grealish all back in the squad."
Despite their attacking prowess, the hosts continue to work their way through defensive injuries.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti started with two midfielders at the back in the first leg, and while Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao remain sidelined with ACL injuries, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are included in the match-day squad.
Fallon is backing Madrid to complete the job at home, but expects plenty of thrills and spills in the Spanish capital.
"The worry for Real Madrid is at centre-back," she said. "While Real Madrid will score goals, my biggest worry for them is defensively.
"The one thing we are going to get is a thriller. Last week was a amazing. Games between these two are always a treat."
Watch Real Madrid v Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday from 7.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Digital highlights of games available on RTÉ Sport YouTube and RTÉ.ie and RTÉ News app
