In the wake of a stellar 4-0 triumph over Newcastle, Manchester City’s upbeat momentum met a harsh reality check in Madrid. This setback has been compounded by the absence of key players, notably Erling Haaland, whose presence was sorely missed.

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Fellow defender Manuel Akanji suffered an injury during the first leg of the Madrid tie, a dramatic late 3-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola confirmed Akanji underwent surgery on an abductor injury and initial reports suggested the Swiss international was likely to have been ruled out for the rest of the season.