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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Daniel Murphy

Mahrez in, Garcia out - Man City starting XI fans want to see vs Real Madrid

Manchester City fans want to see Pep Guardiola make just two changes to his starting XI for the massive Champions League clash with Real Madrid, the most notable being the exclusion of Eric Garcia.

City will finally conclude their last 16 tie with Madrid on Friday night, with the Blues holding a 2-1 lead following the first leg win in the Bernabeu back in February.

Since the historic win, however, Madrid have gone on to improve significantly and clinch an unlikely La Liga title triumph, so it's bound to be a nervy night at the Etihad.

Understandably, supporters want to see Guardiola name as strong a side as possible for the match and make just two changes from the team that hammered Norwich City 5-0 on the final day of the Premier League season.

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The biggest of which would come at centre-back, with fans wanting Fernandinho to take the place of teenager Garcia. It seemed as though Guardiola had settled on the Spaniard and Aymeric Laporte as his first-choice partnership for the rest of the European campaign but the bombshell that Garcia does not want to extend his contract at the club has meant fans want to see him out of the team.

Otherwise they would like to see the same back-line with Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo completing the defence at full-back and Ederson in goal.

If fans got their way then the midfield would consist of Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and David Silva, for what would be the skipper's last ever competitive match at the Etihad.

The final change fans want to see is Riyad Mahrez come into the front-three to partner Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, with Phil Foden dropping to the bench,

Man City fans' XI vs Real Madrid: Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling.

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