Sky Sports Guillem Balague picks his combined Man City and Real Madrid XI ahead of their Champions League semi-final. Mike Bordick Jersey . Man City v Real Madrid preview All you need to know ahead of Tuesday nights Champions League semi-final first leg at the Etihad... City marked their first appearance in the Champions League last eight with a 3-2 aggregate win over PSG earlier this month, while Real, winners in 2014, overcame Wolfsburg by the same aggregate scoreline after a sublime second-leg comeback.Although Real Madrid are 6/4 favourites with Sky Bet to win the competition for an 11th time, Spanish football expert Balague believes Zinedine Zidanes side are the weakest of the remaining four sides, and insists they showed how dangerous yet vulnerable they can be in their two-legged win against Wolfsburg. There is no place for world-record signing Gareth Bale, with Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero pipping him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo Five Manchester City players make it into his combined XI, while there is no place for world-record signing Gareth Bale, with Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero preferred alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.Combined XI - 4-3-3: Joe Hart; Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Vincent Kompany, Marcelo; Luka Modric, Fernando, Toni Kroos; Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Cristiano RonaldoBalague said: I think Real Madrid are the weakest of the four teams. As a team, they showed their weaknesses against Wolfsburg and they had an easy passage to the semis with Roma and Wolfsburg. Manuel Pellegrinis side have a fine chance of reaching the final, says Balague I think to lose 2-0 in Germany is a sign of what they can do, but also to beat Wolfsburg 3-0 is a sign of what they can do in another sense.Ronaldo found form at the best time of the season with key goals against Roma, Barca and Wolfsburg.But as a team, Real Madrid defend badly and can be exposed. Certainly it is an opportunity for City to reach the final. De Bruyne celebrates scoring in the quarter-final win over PSG earlier this month In the other semi-final clash, 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid face 2013 winners Bayern Munich, who are preparing for Pep Guardiolas departure to Manchester City in the summer.And Atletico, who have forced their way back into the La Liga title reckoning in the last month, are favourites to win the competition for the first time, according to Balague. Atletico can win the champions League. For me, they are the favourites. Its a fascinating battle between two coaches who love more than most to influence their sides. The teams are a mirror of who [Diego] Simeone and Pep were as players and are as coaches. Atletico are favourites to win the Champions League, according to Balague I think Atletico Madrid are more comfortable, marginally, with what they do. Physically, they are strong, solid, with no injuries. Bayern need to find themselves a strong centre-back pairing because Joshua Kimmich and Javi Martinez will struggle.Atletico Madrid showed against Barca they can defend as a team, but also that they werent scared to find the victory in their own way, in both ways.They find themselves more sharp at this stage of the season than two years ago when they got to the final. For me, they are the favourites. Also See: Charlies European predictions Man City v Real Madrid preview Is Iheanacho the answer? Neymar needs summer rest Chance Sisco Jersey . Maximilian Arnold put Wolfsburg ahead in the eighth minute, when the stationary Fallou Diagne allowed him to guide Patrick Ochs cross beyond the helpless Freiburg goalkeeper, and Ivica Olic doubled the lead three minutes later after Luiz Gustavo did well to set him up. Orioles Jerseys 2020 . PETERSBURG, Florida – Heading into Thursday nights action, Dioner Navarro had caught 14 innings combined from starters Drew Hutchison and Mark Buehrle. https://www.cheaporioles.com/1018i-dwight-smith-jr-jersey-orioles.html . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.OAKLAND, Calif. -- When the Seattle Mariners were in the midst of a recent eight-game losing streak, manager Lloyd McClendon reminded his players such stretches happen, and they will happen again. Then he challenged them to respond in a positive way. The club is now doing a little bit of everything right to get back on track. Rookie Roenis Elias struck out six while pitching into the seventh to win consecutive starts for the first time, Justin Smoak drove in three runs and the Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 8-3 on Tuesday night for their season-best fourth straight victory. "Its been something incredible," Elias said. "Everybodys together doing their job. I like my team how theyre playing baseball." Smoak hit an RBI double and Dustin Ackley a run-scoring single in the first to back Elias (3-2), who followed up a 10-strikeout gem at Yankee Stadium his last time out with another impressive start once he settled down. The Mariners jumped on Jesse Chavez (2-1) to take a quick first-inning lead for the second straight game against the As -- and Seattle scored all three of its first-inning runs with two outs on the way to its ninth win in 11 games overall. "We know that were not going to win a playoff spot in April," Michael Saunders said. "However, that being said, losing eight straight was a definite learning experience for us. Its not going to be the last time." Chavez got a scare and escaped injury in the fourth when he saved himself from a hard-hit liner by Saunders by catching the screamer that was going right for his face. "It was all reflexes, I just put my glove up," Chavez said. "As soon as I let go of the pitch I saw him make contact. Ive jumped out of the way at balls at my lower body, but Ive never had one like that at my face before." Making the play knocked him off his feet to end the fourth, and the small Coliseum crowd of 12,106 briefly fell silent. "Luckily no one got hurt. I havent seen the replay but guys said it had a chance to hit him square in the face," Saunders said. Chavez got a double play to face the minimum in the fifth, but his night ended after allowing Mike Zuninos sixth-inning sacrifice fly following a hit battsman and a walk. Anthony Santander Jersey. Oakland No. 9 hitter Nick Punto pulled Oakland back in it with a two-run, two-out single in the second. Yoenis Cespedes, back in the starting lineup after nursing a left hamstring injury, hit a leadoff home run in the sixth. The As squandered a scoring chance in the seventh against Dominic Leone, leaving the tying run on third as they again struggled with runners in scoring position. Elias allowed three runs and five hits with three walks in 6 1-3 innings in his seventh career start. Sean Doolittle struck out all four batters he faced in relief of Chavez. But Seattle added on four unearned runs in the top of the ninth against 2013 AL saves leader Jim Johnson, who was booed off the mound when pulled by manager Bob Melvin as fans headed for the exits. Smoak added a two-run single. For Wednesdays doubleheader, Felix Hernandez will pitch Game 1 for Seattle and Erasmo Ramirez the second. As manager Bob Melvin didnt announce his choice for the nightcap, though Dan Straily pitches the opener. Oakland will make right-hander Arnold Leon its 26th player for the second game but is likely to start Drew Pomeranz since he didnt pitch in relief Tuesday. The 25-year-old Leons family was scheduled to fly in from Mexico for his likely major league debut after nine seasons in the minors. The teams are playing two after an April 4 game was called because of a soggy field that had mistakenly gone without its tarp during a heavy rainstorm. NOTES: Saunders, who came in batting .393 with a homer and five RBIs in seven games batting leadoff, went 0 for 4 atop the order. "I dont like messing with success," McClendon said. "Hes been doing great, weve been doing great. Its kind of hard to change that."... As reliever Eric OFlaherty, on the disabled list since undergoing Tommy John surgery in the off-season, threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and could begin throwing to hitters soon, and Melvin said an announcement on the pitchers next step would come Wednesday. ... Melvin said Triple-A catcher Stephen Vogt, an As playoff star last October currently on Sacramentos disabled list, is close to returning from a strained oblique muscle. 02:32ET 07-05-14 ' ' '