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Champions League | Semi-Finals
Apr 26, 2016 at 7.45pm UK
 
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Team News: Cristiano Ronaldo misses out for Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo is left out of the starting XI for Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester City after failing a fitness test.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of the starting XI for Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester City after failing a fitness test.

The 31-year-old has scored 16 Champions League goals this season and had a direct hand in 20 of the 26 scored by Real Madrid as a team in Europe this term.

However, he was forced to sit out of the weekend match against Rayo Vallecano due to a muscle problem and, despite manager Zinedine Zidane expecting the all-time Champions League top scorer to have recovered in time for tonight's match, he is not in the squad having failed a late test.

There is a place for Karim Benzema despite the striker limping off at the weekend, however, and he is joined in attack by Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez.

In all, Zidane has made five changes to the team that won at the weekend, with Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Casemiro and Luka Modric all returning to the starting XI too.

City, meanwhile, welcome captain Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne back into the side after the Belgian duo were rested at the weekend.

Yaya Toure misses out through injury, however, which sees Fernandinho return in one of five changes for the home side, who are appearing in the semi-finals of the competition for the first time.

Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy also come back in, while Sergio Aguero leads the line once again having scored five goals in his last three games in all competitions.

Manchester City: Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho, Navas, Silva, De Bruyne; Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Mangala, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Delph, Sterling, Iheanacho

Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Vasquez
Subs: Casilla, Varane, James, Kovacic, Jese, Isco, Danilo

Follow minute-by-minute updates of events at the Etihad Stadium courtesy of Sports Mole's live coverage.

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Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates with Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring Real's opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Group A match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 15, 2015
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