A 3-0 deficit in Europe is rarely overturned, but Manchester City’s season can still be rescued with a near-perfect night. This tie will be decided by three things: whether City can score early and force Real Madrid to worry, whether Pep Guardiola's team can stay compact enough to prevent the counter, and whether Erling Haaland can find the kind of finishing touch that has made him a one-man wrecking crew.

The first leg was a brutal reminder that even elite teams can be dismantled when the structure breaks. Real Madrid punished City’s moments of nervousness high up the pitch, and Federico Valverde’s hat-trick exposed the vulnerability in transition. City must tighten the gaps between the midfield and defence and make every clearance count.

At the same time, the licence to attack must be earned. Guardiola will want his side to dominate possession, but the key will be timing when they press. Forcing Real into wide areas, stopping their midfield from spinning the ball quickly, and making the most of set pieces will be crucial.

Predicted lineups (drawn from recent team-news previews):

Manchester City (predicted, 4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Rodri; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.

Real Madrid (predicted, 4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, Rudiger, Fran Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler, Vinicius Jr, Gonzalo Garcia.

Notes: lineups are predictions based on injury news and expert previews; final teams will be confirmed at kick-off.