Man City Seek Revival

Manchester City need look no further than their perennial Champions League opponents Real Madrid for hope that Europe can still be conquered in the midst of a dire domestic season.

The sides meet in the Champions League for the fourth consecutive season, but this time much earlier in the competition in large part due to City’s struggles.

Pep Guardiola’s men escaped an embarrassing early exit in the final 45 minutes of the extended eight-game group phase to sneak into the next round in 22nd place of the 36-team table.

City’s only victories in the competition this season have come against Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Prague and Club Brugge.

The spectre of a Madrid front four boasting an in-form Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham is enough to give the City boss nightmares.

Rodri will miss the tie despite being retained in City's Champions League squad in the hope he could return from an ACL tear before the end of the season.

Between 1966 and 2018, Madrid lifted the European Cup or Champions League eight times despite only once winning La Liga in the same season.

That is the example City now have to follow to try and turn a miserable season into a memorable one.