Manchester City will welcome Real Madrid, the holders, to the Etihad on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs.

As many people's pre-tournament favorites, both sides had disappointing group stages, with City squeezing through on the last matchday, beating Club Brugge 3-1 to reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, Madrid lost to Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool early on in the group stage, meaning despite a strong finish with wins against Atalanta, Salzburg, and Brest, they couldn't reach top 8 qualification.

It's the champions of England against the champions of Spain for a fourth consecutive season in the Champions League. The matchup has seen many classics and is a modern European rivalry, with Pep Guardiola comparing the bout to a "derby" and Ancelotti a "Clasico."

Transcript: Carlo Ancelotti?s Press Conference Ahead Of Manchester City vs Real Madrid in the Champions League

In last season's contest, a 4-4 draw on aggregate led to Madrid coming out as winners on penalties in Manchester. After a cracking 3-3 draw at the Bernab?u, featuring stunning goals from Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and Fede Valverde, Los Blancos withheld City's second-leg domination, progressing to the next round in typical Madrid fashion.

MORE: Manchester City vs Real Madrid: 5 Classic Champions League Clashes

Real Madrid head into the clash with a host of injuries. Along with the long-term defensive injuries of Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, Ancelotti is also missing Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba. Most recently, they lost Lucas Vazquez, who picked up a knock over the weekend.

There are many question marks over who will start in the makeshift defense. Tchouam?ni and Asencio are expected to continue their partnership from the Madrid derby last weekend, but Ancelotti's biggest dilemma is right-back. Castilla right-back Lorenzo Aguado is named in the matchday squad and featured in the position against Deportiva Minera in the Copa del Rey. Still, with just four first-team minutes in La Liga, it would be a huge ask to be roped in against a City attack of such magnitude.

Then there is the versatile Federico Valverde, who Ancelotti has occasionally deployed at full-back. With Camavinga back fit to slot into the midfield, he is the most likely to fill in for Vazquez.

In the midfield and attack, Madrid are at full strength, leaving Ancelotti with many options going forward from the off, and off the bench. A threat Guardiola is well aware of. (Sports Illustrated, excluding headline)

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