Hot: Real Madrid faces severe penalties in the Champions League

Despite holding a significant advantage after a 3-0 victory in the first leg, Real Madrid still confronts squad concerns as five key stars are at risk of suspension.

Early Wednesday morning, March 18th (Vietnam time), Real Madrid will march to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg. With a resounding 3-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu thanks to Fede Valverde's superb hat-trick, Coach Alvaro Arbeloa's squad has one foot already in the quarter-finals.

However, complacency is not the only enemy for the "White Eagles" at this moment; the penalty card dilemma is what truly troubles the coaching staff.

According to UEFA regulations, Real Madrid currently has five players on the verge of suspension if they receive another yellow card at Etihad. Should this scenario occur, they would immediately miss the first leg of the quarter-finals (assuming Real Madrid officially advances).

The list of players in the danger zone includes: Alvaro Carreras, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius, and Dean Huijsen.

Among them, Alvaro Carreras is the most alarming case, having accumulated four yellow cards, while the other four names each have received two. Notably, players like Tchouameni, Huijsen, and Vinicius Jr. are irreplaceable elements and are expected to start in the lineup tomorrow.

Playing cautiously against a highly unpredictable Man City at Etihad is an immense challenge, as just one overly aggressive tactical foul could cost Real Madrid dearly with the absence of key pillars in the next round.

Additionally, Real Madrid's squad situation also has noteworthy medical aspects. Jude Bellingham, though registered, remains uncertain to play after months of recovery. Similarly, defender Carreras has only recently recovered from a minor injury.

Particularly, star Rodrygo is definitely absent and is predicted to miss the remainder of the season, which further makes Real Madrid unable to risk losing any more key players due to suspension. Completing the task at Etihad while preserving the squad will be the dual objective Coach Arbeloa and his team aim for.