Mbappé carries Real hopes into showdown

REAL Madrid desperately need superstar Kylian Mbappé at his magical best today in a pivotal Uefa Champions League clash against Manchester City and their unstoppable striker Erling Haaland.

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KYLIAN Mbappé. | AFP

(AFP)

After just two victories in seven matches, fractures have emerged in Xabi Alonso's Madrid project, with some Spanish media reporting that a defeat against City could lead to a premature dismissal.

So often this season Madrid have underwhelmed but been rescued by Mbappé's lethal brilliance, scoring 25 goals in 21 games to lead the scoring charts both in Spain and in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola's City are spearheaded by Norwegian international Haaland, who has 20 goals in 20 games across all competitions and, along with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, is Mbappé's only rival as the standout star of the current season.

The pair have also been drawn against each other at next summer's Fifa World Cup in the US, with Mbappé's France to face Haaland's Norway on June 26 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The first chapter of that battle will be played out at the Bernabéu, where former Barcelona coach Guardiola would relish adding to Madrid's misery. This season City are structured around Haaland, playing to the forward's strengths and aiming for the majority of their moves to end with the ball at his feet in front of goal.