12 min: Another Real chance! Vinícius rushes in from the left. He has Mbappé in the centre of the box for support but he opts to shoot and Giménez makes a big block.

Our first email comes in with Andrew asking why Real only have eight subs named. The hosts have a few injury problems with Carvajal, Ceballos and Militão all out.

10 min: The visitors are being too passive defensively. Lenglet has been too slow to come across and the midfield is being overrun quite easily. Galán is going to continue being targeted.

6 min: Rodrygo gets behind again with a beautiful touch and Galán, not wanting to be beat again, takes him down with a scruffy tackle. Rodrygo is told to get up and VAR checks and clears that is it not a penalty … Real won’t be happy with that.

GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Atlético (Rodrygo 4)

1 min: Atlético immediately fall into their classic 4-4-2 shape. They are going to be defensive, organised and disciplined as they always have been under Simeone.

Kick-off: Real Madrid 0-0 Atlético Madrid

A moment of silence for Javier Dorado, the former left-back who died last month at 48 from leukemia. He won the Champions League with Real in Paris back in 2000.

The teams come out to a bouncing Santiago Bernabéu with some beautiful tifos on display. Ancelotti and Simeone share a long hug as the Champions League anthem rings out. We are moments away from kick-off!

And a hint from Ancelotti on what he expects from his side:

Díaz going to play in Bellingham’s position and, while I won’t mind him occasionally looking to work down the right, I’ve asked him to do the job Jude usually does.

Valverde’s so important to us. Everyone knows what he brings. He’s a key figure and today he’s our captain. I’m glad he’s recovered quickly and he’s all right for this match. I think he’s got the full 90 minutes in him.

Diego Simeone on Real’s change in midfield without Bellingham:

Díaz is an important player offensively. I expect Tchouaméni and Camavinga to offer more positional control, with Valverde more focused from the wing.

It will be a typical game against them – very competitive. There will be moments in which either team will be superior. Whoever makes the best of those will take the advantage.

Two players, with very different expectations, made the move to Real and Atlético, last summer. Tonight they come head to head.

We have live coverage of the other action in Europe tonight. Catch up on the final minutes of Club Brugge v Aston Villa with Will Unwin. Someone (no spoilers!) has just scored!

And join Niall McVeigh for PSV v Arsenal. Is this do or die for Mikel Arteta?

Real may not be an imperious form but they are true kings of this competition. They have only lost one of their last 17 matches (11W, 5D) in the knockouts and are currently unbeaten in nine (5W, 4D) since their defeat against Manchester City in 2022-23.

The last time Atlético faced Real in this competition was in the semi-finals back in 2017, which they lost on aggregate. They also lost to them in the 2015 quarter-finals, the 2014 final and the 2016 final.

For Real Madrid, Valverde returns from injury and captains the hosts as Modrić and Vázquez only make the bench. Jude Bellingham misses out entirely due to suspension so Ancelotti has gone with Díaz alongside the French duo of Camavinga and Tchouaméni in midfield.

For the visitors Giménez and Llorente return in defence as does the in-form Alvarez, who has 21 goals and five assists this season. Gallagher, who has been feeling the love in his new home, starts on the bench.

The teams

Tonight we will be seeing a battle between two greats in Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone. Heading into their 27th clash, with the two managers having faced each other more often than any other rival in their careers, they are tied at nine wins each along with eight draws. Those matches have seen countless goals and memorable moments filled with drama and tension but ultimately, Ancelotti has said he has nothing but “respect” for his counterpart.

Now, as a coach, I respect him a lot. He’s a great manager. He has done very well at Atlético, taken them to the highest level in Europe. I like the way he reads the games, how he gets the team on the pitch, the strategy, the commitment his team has defensively. I like all of these aspects a lot.

Preamble