Does Bellingham play today? Where to watch Real Madrid vs Manchester City today in the Champions League By Maria
5 min read
 |
Real Madrid faces Manchester City this Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Estádio Santiago Bernabéu, in Madri, Espanha. The UEFA Liga Campeões match starts at 8pm Madri local time. Jude Bellingham is confirmed in the Merengues starting lineup, playing in midfield alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni and Dani Ceballos.
Xabi Alonso, coach of Real Madrid, opted for a 4-3-3 formation for the match. Thibaut Courtois defends the goal, with Federico Valverde improvised on the right flank, Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rüdiger in central defense, and Álvaro Carreras on the left. In attack, Rodrygo, Gonzalo García and Vinícius Júnior complete the starting lineup.
Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, responds with a 4-1-4-1. Gianluigi Donnarumma is the goalkeeper, followed by Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly in defense. In the middle, Nico González holds back, with Bernardo Silva, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku supporting Erling Haaland in front.
Tactical formation and defensive adjustments
The choice of Valverde in defense reflects the absences due to injury in Real Madrid. The Uruguayan, known for his versatility, takes on the position to bring balance to the sector. Bellingham, 22 years old and of English nationality, gains freedom to advance and connect the midfield to the attack.
Tchouaméni and Ceballos form the defensive base in midfield. Frenchman Tchouaméni, 25 years old, focuses on marking, while Ceballos, 29 years old Spanish, distributes the balls. Essa duo aims to contain City’s possession of the ball, which usually dominates games with more than 60% control.
In attack, Gonzalo García, a young 19-year-old promise, debuts as a starter alongside Vinícius and Rodrygo. The absence of Kylian Mbappé, on the bench due to discomfort in his leg, opens up space for the boy. Alonso prioritizes speed on the wings to explore counterattacks.
- Main changes to Real: Valverde on the wing, Ceballos in the middle and García in attack.
- Focus on quick transitions to surprise the City defense.
- Bellingham averaging 2.5 tackles per game in the competition.
Recent clash history
The teams met twice in the last season of Champions, with Real Madrid winning 3-1 in Bernabéu. In total, in 14 European duels, both scored in 24 exchanged goals. City have won four of their last ten games, but Real have the advantage at home.
In the current league phase, Real occupies 6th place with 12 points in five games. Venceu Marseille by 2-1, Kairat by 5-0 and Juventus by 1-0, in addition to a 4-3 over Olympiacos. The only defeat came to Liverpool, by 0-1.
Manchester City is in 12th, with mixed results. Perdeu 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the last round, after victories in other matches. Guardiola rotated the team in defeat, admitting excessive changes.
Bellingham contributed four goals in the competition. Sua’s presence increases the intensity of the Madrid midfield, especially against Bernardo Silva, captain of City.
Injuries and absences in Real Madrid
Real Madrid handles an extensive list of embezzlements. Éder Militão, David Alaba, Daniel Carvajal and Ferland Mendy are out due to muscle injuries. Dean Huijsen and Eduardo Camavinga have minimal chances of returning.
Antonio Rüdiger and Federico Valverde train with discomfort, but were selected. Bellingham also reported fatigue, but starts the game. On the bench, options like Arda Güler, Brahim Díaz and Endrick bring depth.
These absences force improvisations. Asencio, 18 years old, takes over as defender alongside Rüdiger, with a rising market value. The Madrid defense conceded seven goals in five Champions games.
Coach Alonso manages the squad with caution. Ele highlighted the group’s unity in a recent press conference, focusing on the collective recovery after the 0-2 defeat to Celta Vigo at the weekend.
In City, Rodri and John Stones remain injured. Mateo Kovačić and Kalvin Phillips are also missing. Apesar Furthermore, the attack with Haaland and Foden remains lethal, with nine goals from the Norwegian this season.
Guardiola strategies on City
Pep Guardiola adjusts the 4-1-4-1 to prioritize possession. Nico González acts as the pivot, freeing Bernardo Silva to create. Foden and Cherki, aged 22 and 21, add creativity to their socks.
Haaland, top scorer with an average of 1.8 goals per match, is the reference. Doku on the left aims to explore the side of Valverde. City have won three of their last five games in Premier League, moving up to second.
The average number of cards in the match is low: 0.19 for referee Clément Turpin. Isso favors a fluid game, without excessive interruptions. City has 62% average ownership in Champions.
Substitutions like Savinho and Omar Marmoush in the bank allow rotations. Guardiola seeks to reverse the recent defeat to Leverkusen, focusing on high pressure.
Bellingham Individual Highlights
Jude Bellingham, 22 years old and 186 cm tall, has a market value of 180 million euros. Na Champions, registers four goals and three assists in five games. Sua versatility places him as a key piece in Alonso’s scheme.
The Englishman shines in aerial duels, winning 65% of them. Contra or City, can mark Bernardo Silva, with whom he shared the field in past duels. Bellingham has 28 goals in the season overall.
Alonso praised his adaptation. “Jude trains with daily intensity,” said the coach. Sua starting line-up relieves pressure on the midfield, allowing Vinícius to advance.
In the confrontation, Bellingham must cover spaces left by Doku. Sua average of 7.2 km run per game highlights the resistance.
Expectations for the game at Bernabéu
Bernabéu receives 81 thousand fans for the duel. Real is looking for 100% success at home in the Champions, with 13 wins in the last 14 games at the stadium. City, away, has won just two of the last five Europeans.
Statistics point to more than 2.5 goals in eight of City’s ten recent games. No Real, the over occurred in nine of the last ten at home. The Sofascore community predicts a 55% Madrid victory.
Referee Turpin, French, blows the whistle for the third time in the competition. Sua average of 3.38 cards per game suggests discipline. Transmissões include channels as Al Jazeera Sport from 5pm GMT.
Substitutions on Real include Fran García, Andriy Lunin and Kylian Mbappé, ready to enter the second half. No City, James Trafford and Nathan Aké expect chances.
