Manchester City are on the cusp of another Champions League semi-final but have the small matter of Real Madrid standing in their way.
Los Blancos held the Blues to a thrilling 3-3 draw in Spain last week. Despite City leading twice during the match, Federico Valverde’s stunning volley ten minutes from time ensured the game was on a knife’s edge going into the return leg.
The winners tonight suhall face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last four with their tie also finely balanced at 2-2. Pep Guardiola has no concerns about injuries heading into the game this evening but how about suspensions? MEN Sport has taken a closer look at the current state of play
What are the Champions League suspension rules?
Should a player receive a red card, they are automatically suspended for the next game. In severe cases, this ban can be extended by UEFA and can be applied to other competitions too.
If a player receives three yellow cards across matches in the Champions League, they are handed a one-match ban. This tally is reset across two points in the campaign – at the end of the group stages and quarter-finals.
Are City players at risk of a ban?
Should they progress to the semi-finals tonight, two City players are at risk of a yellow card suspension. Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji have received two yellow cards in the competition so far.
If either man be booked tonight, they will miss the first leg of the semi-finals if City progresses. Should they avoid booking, their slate would be wiped clean after tonight’s game.
Real, meanwhile, have already been impacted by the rule as Aurelien Tchouameni’s booking last week has seen him ruled out of today’s game. Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Jr and Daniel Carvajal are also treading on eggshells tonight. Should any of them get booked against City and they progress to the last four, they will be suspended for the first leg of the semi-finals.
