Craig Nelson and Harry De Cosemo
All times stated are UK
Thank you!
Thank you for joining us today. What a day it's been! And who will secure their place in the Champions League? Live coverage will be starting soon on the BBC Sport website.
It was a pretty crazy last hour! In case you missed anything today, here's a recap:
- Ivan Toney banned: Brentford striker given eight-month ban over betting
- Milner among four set to leave Liverpool
- 'Kevin de Bruyne still needs his legacy moment'
That's all for now. Enjoy the game and well be back tomorrow morning. Farewell!
'There’s always a lot of pressure for Real Madrid to win'
Semra Hunter
La Liga TV presenter
Is it a bigger game for Manchester City or Real Madrid?
In the case of Real Madrid there’s always expectation that they have to win the Champions League and if they don’t you can see casualties in the form of the manager.
For example Carlo Ancelotti not gets the result they’re after for tonight let’s say they lose in a tight margin maybe it’s 2-1 they lose by a goal and get eliminated so it may not be too bad and he will be able to keep his job but if for whatever reason they get absolutely pummelled into oblivion then Carlo Ancelotti could lose his job.
There’s always a lot of pressure for Real Madrid to win the game so in terms of who can have I don’t know a better outcome I think maybe Real Madrid may need it a little bit more considering they didn’t win the league they didn’t retain the league title this season obviously in City’s case they’re still fighting for the historic treble so I would say that it’s a really big one for both it’s quite difficult to say which needs it more which will go into it saying it’s a bigger game for them.
'Ancelotti and Madrid know what's coming'
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Michael Brown
Former Manchester City midfielder on The Football News Show
Question: Can City just go for it?
Answer: I think you seen against Arsenal they had a slightly different set-up, going more direct and in-behind. That space is going to be there. Madrid surprised City a bit the way they sat off and allowed them to have the ball.
Haaland was then a bit quiet but there wasn’t space there. They are going to try and create and get different players in different positions on the ball. That is fascinating as Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid know what is going to come their way.
Post update
Last few minutes before we close up. We’ll bring you a few more of your questions answered by our experts ahead of the big game later…
Winning the Champions League means 'more and more' each year
Semra Hunter
La Liga TV presenter
What does Champions League mean to City fans?
I think it means more and more each year four or five years ago it’d been nice to win it but we tend to be an older fanbase at city and it’s a bit of a discussion at the moment do we want to win the FA cup by beating United which some of us older fans do, we’d rather win that than the Champions League.
But we want to win it partly because it shuts other people up because they say you’re not a great team until you’ve won it Peps right his legacy’s always there we can see it but we want to win it for ourselves and hopefully, people are saying if you win it once, get that monkey off our back and we can win it again and again and again and show to everyone we are the best team in the world.
Get Involved - Milner leaves Liverpool
#bbcfootball
Richard: love James Milner but he wants to play football regularly so staying sadly wasn’t an option
Post update
Could Milner’s experience have helped Liverpool’s transitional phase or is it right to move him on?
Thumbs up for the right decision, down for he should have stayed.
Milner to leave Liverpool
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all leave Liverpool at the end of the season, the club has confirmed.
All four players' contracts expire this summer.
They were all part of the side that won the Champions League in 2019 and Premier League in 2019-20.
When will Toney play again?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Toney’s suspension starts immediately, but the 27-year-old can return to training with Brentford four months before it ends on 17 September.
He will not be allowed to play again until 17 January, 2024.
This season, he has scored 20 Premier League goals.
Brentford’s response to Toney ban
Brentford
Brentford FC notes the decision of an independent Regulatory Commission to issue an eight-month ban from all football and football-related activity to Ivan Toney with immediate effect.
Ivan was charged with breaches of FA rule E8 and had a personal hearing earlier this week.
Brentford FC is currently awaiting the publication of the written reasons of the independent Regulatory Commission. We will review them before considering our next steps.
FA statement on Toney
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.
The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.
His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing. He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.
The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and The FA will wait to review them before commenting further.
BreakingToney banned from football after accepting betting charges
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Brentford striker van Toney has been banned from football for eight months after breaking FA betting rules.
'Man City need a bit of luck tonight'
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Michael Brown
Former Manchester City midfielder on The Football News Show
Question: How big is this game?
Answer: Pep Guardiola has mentioned a few changes. It is just going to be an amazing occasion.
The pressure is on Manchester City and Pep Guardiola but what he says is not about having to win it. What they have done already is amazing. Globally it is that step for the football club to make them even bigger and better and continue on that journey.
But this is about winning trophies overall. It is a fascinating game and they need a bit of luck tonight. But against Real Madrid Manchester City are favourites. That tells you everything.
'It will be an incredible atmosphere'
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Michael Brown
Former Manchester City midfielder on The Football News Show
Question: What's the atmosphere going to be like?
Answer: With the light show at the start and all it will be an incredible atmosphere. It might be more to get those home players up for it a little bit more.
Can they find that little bit extra? Like seeing a bit of blue when the coach arrives it is something that doesn’t happen with all the games for sure.
I don’t think these players are going to be affected the ones we are talking about in terms of an intimidating atmosphere.
Pep is 'one of the best in the game'
Semra Hunter
La Liga TV presenter
Is it a bigger game for Manchester City or Real Madrid?
I think it matters in terms of the perspective you’re looking at this, in the case of Man City Guardiola, obviously there’s been pressure on him for so many years now to say: "Well you haven’t won the Champions League without Messi, you haven’t won the Champions League without Barcelona," and they’ve always used that as a black mark against him and the quality he has as a manager which I think is ridiculous because he’s one of the best in the game.
He’s an absolute genius and I think also there’s that pressure for them overall for the amount of money they’ve spent on this project to get finally the Champions League.
'The atmosphere will be really good'
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Sam Lee
Manchester City correspondent, The Athletic
Question: What's the atmosphere going to be like?
Answer: I don’t know about intimidating when it comes to Real Madrid. As in Europe with those atmosphere’s it is a lot of whistling when they have the ball and you just don’t get that in English grounds.
If the support are going to have any impact it is going to be on the City players rather than the Madrid players. These big games in April and May over the last couple of years, City have normally scored in the first seven minutes it has always been with Kevin De Bruyne.
If they don’t it might go a bit quieter but I think the atmosphere will be really good.
Walker faces Vini… again
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Sam Lee
Manchester City correspondent, The Athletic
Video content
Vinicius is amazing and got the winner in the final last year and has already shown what he can do against Manchester City.
There are not many right backs you would want on an assignment like that than Kyle Walker.
'It doesn’t get any better than this'
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Michael Brown
Former Manchester City midfielder on The Football News Show
Question: How big is this game?
Answer: It is one we have been looking forward to for such a long time, it is something that has been hanging over Manchester City - the Champions League and of all opponents Real Madrid. At the Etihad it doesn’t get any better than this.
It is going to be a full house as expected with great anticipation and the players have been looking forward to this so much, coming up against the best and it what they want.
Can Man City go for it?
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Sam Lee
Manchester City correspondent, The Athletic
Question: Can City go for it?
Answer: I think away from home they played within themselves slightly to partly avoid what happened last season but the good sign was when they conceded that goal out of the blue they didn’t concede another one.
That would have been real memories of last year and I think Guardiola and the players wanted to avoid that. Now you have a situation at home with that fantastic record that they have got. Not just in the Champions League but when they played Arsenal here and Liverpool in recent seasons the atmosphere is really good and they normally score early goals.
I think as Guardiola mentioned they will do something different to get Erling Haaland into the game more. I don’t think they will be running flat out against a brick wall from minute one now.
They will be fairly sensible but going for it more than they did last week.
Haaland v Rudiger
Man City v Real Madrid (1-1 agg)
Michael Brown
Former Manchester City midfielder on The Football News Show
That is a great battle between Rudiger and Haaland. He didn’t come into it so much but you know of all players he is not bothered if he doesn’t touch it for long periods. As it will come, he will get his chance and opportunity.
He was enjoying that challenge.
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