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Kyle Walker recalls the pain and it wasn’t the kind many a left winger has experienced when they have found themselves in a race against him, legs burning as Manchester City and England’s roadrunner accelerated past them. This was the sense of rejection. Pep Guardiola had recalibrated his team, altered the role of the right-back and the footballer who had played more times in defence for the Catalan than anyone else was suddenly deemed redundant. “He cannot do it,” Guardiola said bluntly. “Did it hurt? Of course it did,” Walker reflected. “I can’t sit here and lie to you and say it didn’t hurt. Of course it did. You start to doubt yourself but you have to go back to basics to what you are good at, what he bought you for and prove him wrong and that is what I have done. Sometimes certain opinions in football, you don’t always agree with, but for what he has done for me and for Man City in the last six years, has been nothing short of tremendous.” Some six weeks after Guardiola’s damning appraisal, it may be no exaggeration to say his chances of winning his third, and City’s first, Champions League rest with Walker. He has been recalled, restored to prominence, summoned for a specialist task. Guardiola could reinvent Walker’s friend John Stones as part full-back, part midfielder, but there are jobs that call for an out-and-out defender. Walker seems the man for the unenviable assignment. He was Kylian Mbappe’s direct opponent in a World Cup quarter-final, Gabriel Martinelli’s in a Premier League title decider and Vinicius Junior’s in twin Champions League ties. Stop Vinicius and City may be bound for Istanbul. But then, as Trent Alexander-Arnold can testify from bitter experience, halting him can border on the impossible. Walker sounded unfazed. “Obviously it is a personal battle where you are coming up against one of the best players in the world but I have faced many over the years who have been just as good as him,” he said. “But I think he is in the best form of his life.” That was demonstrated in the Bernabeu last week when the Brazilian scored a superlative goal; Walker was blameless for it, however, and acquitted himself well. Carlo Ancelotti, rarely one for hyperbole, branded Vinicius the world’s best player after his evisceration of Liverpool. The same description could be applied to another Walker went mano a mano with. “Like Mbappe when I played him in the World Cup, you have to give him respect they deserve but you are not going to say, ‘Go on, walk through and score,’” Walker said. “I am representing Manchester City, the ambition for this club is massive so if I can’t compete with these top players from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea or whoever, I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be sat in this chair talking to you, I need to make sure I come against the best and I can deal with the best.” He embraced Vinicius after the first leg, a gesture of admiration that came with a warning. “I went to hug him because he tried to rainbow flick me, so it was like, ‘please don’t try that again – I don’t want to become a meme,’” he explained. The Brazilian has a reputation as an agent provocateur but Walker sounded unworried. “If someone is trash talking, it doesn’t really bother me,” he insisted. “I have been through things in my life that are more difficult than people trying to wind me up and get a reaction out of me. We’ve seen a few clips of him going down easily and asking for yellow cards but it’s part and parcel of the game. Let’s not take his football away, he’s a top player.” So there may be another hug. “I will give him the respect he deserves [after the final whistle], but before then it is dog eat dog,” he said. Or, perhaps, dog race dog. There is a timelessness to Walker. Apart from back-up goalkeeper Scott Carson, he is the oldest player in the City squad, just as he has been England’s oldest in their last two tournaments. He will turn 33 on the final day of the Premier League season and yet the years have not blunted his pace. “I am not old,” he argued. “I still feel great, I still feel fit. I probably have to say a big thanks to my mum and dad for the genetics. Some players do start to slow down, but I think one of the lads in sports science said I hit 37.5 [kilometres per hour] the other day in the speed thing.” He is not City’s only sprinter. Training at City does not consist of 100m races, but one would be worth watching. The 52-goal forward Erling Haaland has got the better of many an opposing defender this season. A teammate reckons he could beat him. “Both of us take a bit of time to get up to speed, but I think Erling is very, very quick,” Walker said. “But I’d still have to back myself...” Read More Only Vinicius Jr has the key to shape semi-final - even if Man City dominate Kyle Walker insists players ‘owe’ Champions League title to Sheikh Mansour The six types of Pep Guardiola full-back, and what each says about Man City Football rumours: Bayern Munich willing to offload Sadio Mane this summer Luton Town one game from Premier League after comeback win over Sunderland Inter Milan have already made it clear how they can win the Champions League

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Manchester City hope to keep their pursuit of a treble alive as they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. Pep Guardiola’s side dominated large portions of their trip to the Spanish capital last week and will be reasonably content to have left the Bernabeu at level pegging. But Madrid showed their threat in the 1-1 draw, particularly on the counter-attack, and felled their opponents at this stage 12 months ago. With full focus on continental success, Carlo Ancelotti’s team will hope to dash Guardiola’s treble dreams. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Manchester City vs Real Madrid? Manchester City vs Real Madrid is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 17 May at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the second leg live on BT Sport 1, with coverage on the channel from 7pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via the BT Sport app or online player. Team news Nathan Ake could be back in contention for Manchester City, with the versatile defender nearing a return from his hamstring issue. Rodri is also thought not to be a concern, with his withdrawal against Everton precautionary. The weekend brought mixed fitness news for Carlo Ancelotti, with Eduardo Camavinga limping off in a fixture against Getafe that marked Ferland Mendy’s return from injury. Ancelotti does have Eder Militao back from suspension, which could prompt a reshuffle - if Camavinga is fit, reports in Spain suggest that he could be pushed into midfield with Fede Valverde utilised in the front three. Predicted line-ups Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Rúben Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, GündoÄŸan, Grealish; Haaland. Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militão, Rüdiger, Alaba; Modrić, Kroos, Camavinga; Valverde, Benzema, Vinícius Jr. Odds Manchester City win 5/8 Draw 18/5 Real Madrid win 9/2 Prediction Manchester City couldn’t quite convert their comfort in possession into clearcut chances in the first leg, and Real Madrid will be hopeful of again frustrating their opponents. But Erling Haaland and co.’s scoring might may eventually tell. Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid (4-3 agg.) Read More ‘A dream come true’: Pep Guardiola elated at position of treble-chasing Man City The no-impact substitute: Kalvin Phillips’ ongoing humiliation gives Man City a problem Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland Inter Milan have already made it clear how they can win the Champions League You’re asking the wrong person – Emma Hayes not interested in title permutations Can Pep get the better of Carlo? – 5 talking points ahead of City’s semi-final