Tuesday 26 April 2016 20:28, UK
Sky Sports' Guillem Balague picks his combined Man City and Real Madrid XI ahead of their Champions League semi-final.
City marked their first appearance in the Champions League last eight with a 3-2 aggregate win over PSG earlier this month, while Real, winners in 2014, overcame Wolfsburg by the same aggregate scoreline after a sublime second-leg comeback.
Although Real Madrid are 6/4 favourites with Sky Bet to win the competition for an 11th time, Spanish football expert Balague believes Zinedine Zidane's side are the weakest of the remaining four sides, and insists they showed how dangerous yet vulnerable they can be in their two-legged win against Wolfsburg.
Five Manchester City players make it into his combined XI, while there is no place for world-record signing Gareth Bale, with Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero preferred alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Combined XI - 4-3-3: Joe Hart; Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Vincent Kompany, Marcelo; Luka Modric, Fernando, Toni Kroos; Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Cristiano Ronaldo
Balague said: "I think Real Madrid are the weakest of the four teams. As a team, they showed their weaknesses against Wolfsburg and they had an easy passage to the semis with Roma and Wolfsburg.
"I think to lose 2-0 in Germany is a sign of what they can do, but also to beat Wolfsburg 3-0 is a sign of what they can do in another sense.
"Ronaldo found form at the best time of the season with key goals against Roma, Barca and Wolfsburg.
"But as a team, Real Madrid defend badly and can be exposed. Certainly it is an opportunity for City to reach the final."
In the other semi-final clash, 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid face 2013 winners Bayern Munich, who are preparing for Pep Guardiola's departure to Manchester City in the summer.
And Atletico, who have forced their way back into the La Liga title reckoning in the last month, are favourites to win the competition for the first time, according to Balague.
"Atletico can win the champions League. For me, they are the favourites. It's a fascinating battle between two coaches who love more than most to influence their sides. The teams are a mirror of who [Diego] Simeone and Pep were as players and are as coaches.
"I think Atletico Madrid are more comfortable, marginally, with what they do. Physically, they are strong, solid, with no injuries. Bayern need to find themselves a strong centre-back pairing because Joshua Kimmich and Javi Martinez will struggle.
"Atletico Madrid showed against Barca they can defend as a team, but also that they weren't scared to find the victory in their own way, in both ways.
"They find themselves more sharp at this stage of the season than two years ago when they got to the final. For me, they are the favourites."
