Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has identified two Real Madrid stars as a potential threat ahead of their Champions League clash on Friday at the Etihad Stadium.

The defender insisted that Manchester City has to be at their best to eliminate Real Madrid in the reverse fixture of the Champions League.

Zinedine Zidane’s men have to score two goals to stand a chance to reach the next round of the competition having suffered a 2-1 defeat at Santiago Bernabeu in February in the first leg.

Real Madrid will miss their Sergio Ramos but Laporte insists Los Blancos would still play well even with their captain.

He told Diario AS: “We also have our significant loss. Sergio Ramos is important, but we want to show that we can play better than them.”

Laporte was referring to the injury to Sergio Aguero, who he described as an important miss.

“Who doesn’t know Kun?” he continued. “A casualty like his is always important. All the goals he has scored and the career he’s had since he was very young… He is one of the best forwards I have seen, but we trust the other teammates.

“We have a very marked game, recently we have been very good and we have to continue in this line. It will not be easy with Real Madrid.”

With Ramos out for Madrid, Laporte identified his fellow Frenchman Raphael Varane, who will be tasked with stepping up to lead the defence, as one of two main threats for the visitors alongside Karim Benzema.

“He is in a very good moment, as I have been told, so let’s see if he deviates against us and can help us,” Laporte said. “He is a good boy off the field, exemplary and it is a pleasure to talk to him.”

“[Benzema] is in good shape, he has scored many goals this season. We will have to be very careful.”

source:- fcnaija