With the away goals rule no longer in effect, Real Madrid's 4-3 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium becomes more difficult to assess, especially since some had suggested in previous years that a 4-3 defeat would be better than a 0-0 draw away from home.
Carlo Ancelotti had a fantastic weekend, watching his club win the LaLiga Santander title, but he will be painfully aware that if Real Madrid are to halt Pep Guardiola's juggernaut, they must strengthen their defense.
Gareth Bale is out with a back ailment, while David Alaba has a slight muscle problem that might keep him out of the game, which would be disastrous for Los Blancos' defense.
Guardiola, on the other hand, is dealing with a defensive injury problem as he prepares to head to Spain, with both John Stones and Kyle Walker expected to miss the second leg.
Real Madrid will be hoping that their domestic title celebrations were not overdone on Saturday night, but the thought of reaching another Champions League final is simply enticing.
Line-ups for Real Madrid vs. Manchester City
Real Madrid's expected starting lineup
Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Nacho Fernandez, Ferland Mendy; Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos; Fede Valverde, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior
Man City's predicted line-up
Ederson; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne; Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling
Where can I watch Real Madrid's match vs Manchester City?
The second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City can be seen on CBS Sports Network in the United States. The match will be televised live on BT Sport 2 in the United Kingdom.
When does Real Madrid's match vs Manchester City begin?
The second leg of the Champions League semi-final will take place at 21:00 CET on Wednesday, local time in Spain. This match will begin at 20:00 BST for those in the United Kingdom, and at 15:00 ET/12:00 PT for those in the United States.
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