Speaking of appearing in semi-finals...

Karim Benzema (9 for Real Madrid) equals the Champions League record for playing in the semi-finals for a single club in the most different seasons: nine by Xavi for FC Barcelona and Sergio Ramos for Real Madrid.

Phil Foden (City), Rodrygo (Real) and Vinícius Junior (Real) are the first players born this century to feature in the Champions League semi-finals in multiple seasons.

I'm so old.

Shamshad Mohammed: Stones is a good defender, but he can't offer the speed and the offensive play of Walker. Both wingbacks are very crucial for City today.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that his side go into their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City as “underdogs” – but insists his players “feel capable of anything” because of the club’s European pedigree.

City host the 13-time European champions in the first leg on Tuesday, with the return fixture at the Bernabeu next Wednesday.

"There are clearly two teams in the semi-finals that everyone was betting against - and they are us and Villarreal [who face Liverpool]," said Ancelotti.

"I always say that Real Madrid are going to compete no matter what against anyone.

"Our history - having won 13 titles in this competition - makes things easier for the players because they feel how heavy, in a positive way, the Real Madrid jersey weighs in a Champions League game.

"They feel capable of anything, like they did fighting back to qualify against PSG and Chelsea.

"Real Madrid's history means a lot to us - more than for the rivals."

• This will be the seventh meeting between Manchester City and Real Madrid in European competition, with each of the previous six coming in the Champions League since 2012-13. After failing to win the first four (D2 L2), the Citizens won both legs in the last 16 against them in this competition in 2019-20.
• Pep Guardiola has eliminated Real Madrid from the knockout stages of the Champions League on two previous occasions, beating them 3-1 on aggregate in the 2010-11 semi-finals with Barcelona and 4-2 on aggregate in the 2019-20 last 16 with Manchester City. Guardiola is looking to become the first manager to eliminate Real from the Champions League on three occasions.
• Raheem Sterling has netted 24 goals for City in the competition. If he scores in this game, he would overtake Paul Scholes (24) and trail only Wayne Rooney (30) for the most goals scored by an English player for an English team in the competition’s history.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

When you look at John Stones, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and Aleksandr Zinchenko it is a pretty solid back four.

I think Kyle Walker is a big miss because he is intergral to how City play. With his pace he is a release.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Etihad Stadium

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has seen it all before having won this trophy three times and is as cool as you like conducting pre-match pitchside interviews.

He will not want to remember his last visit here, though, which was a 5-0 thrashing in what turned out to be his final match as Everton manager.

Andrew Priestley: You’d have to think that starting John Stones tonight is a real risk for Pep and Manchester City. He’s at the very best half-fit, but with Cancelo suspended and Walker injured it’s a gamble they’ve had to take.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 Live

For Real Madrid, they just need one moment, one move and one player [Karim Benzema] and you can concede.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don't think Pep Guardiola will feel complete until he has won this competition with Manchester City. If they don't, I think a tiny part of him will feel like he's missed out on something and not quite done what he had promised. This is the one he wants.

Image source, Getty Images

City collected 12 points in this season's group stage to finish a point clear of PSG. They won all three home games, scoring 12 goals in the process in defeating Leipzig (6-3), Club Brugge (4-1) and PSG (2-1).

They then put Sporting Lisbon to the sword in the last 16 thanks to a 5-0 win in Portugal and a goalless draw at the Etihad.

Real will have been able to sympathise with their struggles in the last eight, which brought them up again Atletico Madrid, last season's La Liga champions and a seriously tough nut to crack (other descriptions are available).

Kevin de Bruyne scored the only goal of the first leg with 20 minutes remaining in Manchester. City then held out for a goalless draw in Madrid, that got very ugly towards the end.

One Madrid side down, one to go...

Image source, Getty Images

Real won five of their six Group D games this season, with the exception being the shock 2-1 loss at home to competition debutants Sheriff Tiraspol.

They ultimately finished top of their group for the third time in four seasons. They were also especially efficient away from home, keeping clean sheets in winning at Inter (1-0), Shakhtar Donetsk (5-0) and Sheriff (3-0).

In the knock-out rounds, though, they have had to dig deep. Against Paris St-Germain, they trailed 2-0 three quarters of the way through the tie, but Karin Benzema's hat-trick flipped it on it's head and saw Real through.

Then there was Chelsea in the last eight. Another Benzema treble at Stamford Bridge put them in charge, but the Blues hit back at the Bernabeu, taking a 4-3 aggregate lead with 15 minutes left.

Luka Modric's outrageous assist for Rodrygo to level and Benzema's decisive goal sealed their progress.

Never know when they are beat, these lads.

Image source, Getty Images

When it comes to Europe's elite clubs, none can boast an honours board like Real's.

Their 34 La Liga titles bests anyone other side in Spain, including Barcelona (26). In the European Cup/Champions League, nobody else comes close.

Their 13 titles is six more than the next best side (AC Milan) and seven more than the best English team (Liverpool with six). This is Madrid's 15th appearance in the Champions League semi-finals, a competition record, three more than Barcelona and Bayern, and their 31st last-four tie if we forget all this rebranding nonsense and rightly include all the European Cup efforts too.

In this season's quarters, they got their revenge on Chelsea for beating them in the last four last season. Now they want to head back for another last-two showdown and reclaim their spot at the top of Europe's tree.

This is, of course, also the first part of what will be a Premier League v La Liga quadruple bill in this season's Champions League semi-finals, with Liverpool facing Villarreal in the other last-four tie.

So there is also the reputation of England's top-flight at stake. The Premier League prides itself on apparently being the best league in the world. It would help to justify that if it also ensured that it once again possessed Europe's finest club side.

Gabriel Jesus getting the nod. He was on fire at the weekend, scoring four times and bagging an assist in a 5-1 win over Watford.

With all due respect to the Hornets defence, he'll be facing a tougher back-line tonight.

And John Stones at right-back.

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Image source, BBC Sport

Both of these sides are hunting a double trophy haul this season.

This is the third time in seven seasons that City have reached the last four of the Champions League, while Real are in the semi-finals for the 10th occasion in 12 years and aiming to win the tournament for the first time since they beat Liverpool 3-1 in the 2018 final.

City, who beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 on aggregate over two legs in the quarter-final, are one point ahead of Liverpool with five Premier League games to go.

Real knocked out holders Chelsea in the last eight and have a 15-point La Liga advantage over Barcelona. They only need one more point to be Spanish champions.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, .

Four changes for Manchester City from the 11 that began the 5-1 win over Watford on Saturday.

There are starts for John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden, with Fernandinho, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling dropping down to the bench. Gabriel Jesus, who scored four and made one against Watford, keeps his place.

Kyle Walker is injured and Joao Cancelo is suspended.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Zinchenko, Laporte, Dias, Stones, Silva, Rodri, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Jesus, Foden.

Subs: Steffen, Carson, Ake, Egan-Riley, Gundogan, Mbete, Sterling, Palmer, Grealish, Fernandinho, McAtee, Lavia.

Image source, .

Real Madrid, 15 points clear at the top of La Liga and only needing a point to become champions, had the luxury of resting some players for their 3-1 win at Osasuna six days ago.

Among those returning are Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Vinicius Jr, while Gareth Bale is among the options on the bench.

Real Madrid: Courtois, Mendy, Alaba, Militao, Carvajal, Modric, Kroos, Valverde, Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.

Subs: Lunin, Ribera, Vallejo, Nacho, Asensio, Isco, Marcelo, Casemiro, Vazquez, Bale, Ceballos, Camavinga.

It is indeed 11 v 11, and here are the two 11s that will start the game...