3 Manchester City players who should terrify Real Madrid

Kevin De Bruyne

Putting aside all biases, Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the Premier League. It’s not even close. He is equipped to single-handedly control the tempo, and break defensive lines with a single pass, while consequently contributing enough defensively with sustained counter-pressing. He falls into one of those rare brackets of players that can make or break games of this stature. Lucky for Real Madrid, they’ve got players with a similar aptitude.

His fundamentality in this City squad cannot be overlooked, the FA Cup semi-finals vs Liverpool is simply a testament to this statement. For the first time this season, Manchester City got outplayed across the board, particularly in the middle of the park. I wonder why.

De Bruyne picked up a knock against Atletico Madrid, and what looked like an ankle injury doesn’t seem like it will force him out of the tie. In addition, he was a part of the City squad for the Cup semi-final, so him being out of the first leg against Real Madrid is a pipe dream.

In just 24 appearances, he accounts for 11 goals and three assists in the Premier League this season and creates 5.24 shot-creating actions per 90. Even though these stats are phenomenal, one cannot comprehend how treacherous he is unless they watch him week in, week out.

This tie will be a battle of the midfield, and keeping De Bruyne in check is how you win it.