Carlo Ancelotti Real Madrid manager
Carlo Ancelotti Real Madrid

Erling Haaland was cut a frustrated figure in the first leg at the Bernabeu but for Real Madrid, he still remains the single major threat when the La Liga giants head to Manchester.

The Norwegian international managed only 21 touches of the ball along with two shots on target during the first leg of the semi-final but Guardiola will need him to fire this week if Manchester City want to progress to the final.

The semi-final is perfectly balanced at 1-1 so like Pep had said, this two-legged tie will be decided at the Etihad Stadium and it looks like Carlo Ancelotti is making special provisions to keep Erling Haaland at bay.

As per a report in El Confidencial, the Madrid manager is planning to use Rudiger, Alaba and Militao in the lineup to stop the Man City forward.

Alaba and Antonio Rudiger did a wonderful job in the first leg but now, Ancelotti wants to throw Eder Militao into the mix as well after the Brazilian missed the first leg of the semifinal through suspension.

If Eder Militao is coming back into the side then David Alaba will play as the left-back meaning Camavinga will move into midfield alongside Toni Kroos and Modric.

Alaba is more than capable of playing on the left having playing in that position 10 times this season and if needed then he, Rudiger and Militao will form a three-man back line. This will also allow Camavinga to play in his natural position on the pitch.

Erling Haaland has scored 51 goals in 47 games this season so it’s quite obvious that Carlo Ancelotti has his full focus on the striker but we think by this selection, the Madrid manager is also trying to shut down Kevin de Bruyne.

The Belgian international has been the main provider for Haaland this season as the midfielder has racked up a total of 27 assists across all competitions and if Madrid can stop him from playing his A-game then they should be able to go through.

Haaland is the type of player who doesn’t need too many shots to find the back of the net and if KDB is given the license to roam around then we are sure the playmaker is going to find the striker at least once in the full 90 minutes.

Eduardo Camavinga was the man of the match in the first leg and he was superb in keeping Bernardo Silva quiet so by putting him in the middle of the pitch, Carlo Ancelotti is hoping that he can do a similar job on Kevin de Bruyne.

Also, Camavinga’s pace in midfield could turn out to be a major perk for Real Madrid because it would stop Stones and Rodri to stop venturing too forward.

Erling Haaland is the main reason why Militao is going to come into the side and while Rudiger is going to man-mark the Norwegian, Alaba and Militao will make sure that runners cannot run off the Man City striker. Haaland failed to make an impact last week and Carlo Ancelotti is devising every plan to make sure that the goal-scoring machine remains disappointed in the second leg as well.

Man City will be playing at home so they will obviously be on the front foot and but Madrid cannot afford to leave their comfort zone and go ultra-defensive this week. They are best when they are on the front foot and Ancelotti’s biggest mistake will be to ask his players to ditch their primary instinct and just focus on stopping Manchester City’s forward.