Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Manchester City's final match of their Australian tour sees them take on Real Madrid on Friday in the International Champions Cup, before the squad then head to Hanoi where they will take on the Vietnam national side.
City drew 2-2 with Roma on Tuesday, winning 5-4 on penalties, and will win the Australian side of the International Champions Cup if they win their final match. Real Madrid have one point having lost their opening match against Roma on penalties.
The quality of some of City's young players, who have been given a chance to impress on the tour, caught the eye against Roma. As did new signing Raheem Sterling, who scored inside three minutes of his first game for the club.
Manuel Pellegrini's decision to try out a 4-3-3 formation is an intriguing prospect ahead of the new campaign, and Friday's match will offer further evidence of its suitability to the City squad.
Date: Friday, July 24
Kick-Off: 11 a.m. BST/6 a.m. ET
TV Listings: Sky Sports 1 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (US)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Fox Soccer 2GO (US)
Form Guide: (Last five league results)
City
City 2-0 Southampton
Swansea 2-4 City
City 6-0 QPR
Tottenham 0-1 City
City 3-2 Aston Villa
Real Madrid
Real Madrid 7-3 Getafe
Espanyol 1-4 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 2-2 Valencia
Sevilla 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 3-0 Almeria
Predicted Formations:
City: (4-3-3)
Joe Hart; Bacary Sagna, Jason Denayer, Eliaquim Mangala, Aleksandar Kolarov; Fernando, Javi Garcia, Yaya Toure; Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Kelechi Iheanacho
Real Madrid: (4-2-3-1)
Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, Luka Modric; Gareth Bale, Martin Odegaard, Isco; Cristiano Ronaldo
Players to Watch:
City: Raheem Sterling
City's new record signing is set to play at least another 45 minutes, as Pellegrini continues to prepare his new forward for an assault on this season's Premier League.
Sterling scored inside three minutes in his first game against Roma, a cool finish that belied his reputation as a hasty, sometimes poor finisher.
He brings new options to City. He offers an injection of much-needed pace, can play on the left or right of Pellegrini's new-look 4-3-3 and can play wide in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. Where City looked somewhat one-dimensional at times last season, they now have options.
Sterling, 20, looks set to be a vital player for the club in the coming year.
Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi only has one challenger to the title of the world's greatest player. Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Manchester United man, continues to run the Argentine close when it comes to personal accolades.
Ronaldo is a force of nature. Seeing as he's unfathomably fit and strong, there isn't really a hole in his game. He runs with the ball brilliantly and at speed, is outstanding in the air, scores goals and frightens defenders when he picks up the ball.
It's always a pleasure to watch such a wonderful talent, no matter what the occasion.
Key Battle: Kelechi Iheanacho vs. Sergio Ramos
One of City's standout performers against Roma on Tuesday was Kelechi Iheanacho, an 18-year-old Nigerian forward who looks set to play a role in Pellegrini's first team this season.
He looks to have everything needed to impact the very top of the game: a wonderful touch, quick feet, vision and intelligence.
If he does the lead the line again on Friday, he will likely go head-to-head with Sergio Ramos, the world's finest defender.
Ramos is comfortable on the ball and can play from the back, and over his career, his defensive ability has improved immeasurably. The errors that blighted his early years have largely been eradicated, and he is now one of the most valuable players in world football.
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and follows the club from a Manchester base. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.
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