Rather than the famous all-white we're used to seeing with Real Madrid, the visitors are wearing a dark green kit this evening.

They've started well but Manchester City come forward and some indecision in the box almost allows Lauren Hemp to steal in at the back post.

Well, a very early chance for Real Madrid.

Manchester City lose the ball very quickly from kick-off after a loose pass from Carlotta Wamser.

It runs for Felicia Schroder and she goes for goal with goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita slightly caught in no man's land but the Real Madrid forward's shot from distance drifts wide.

The home side kick-off and away we go!

We're into October now and, while I confirm it's been a bright and sunny day in Manchester today, it is looking rather chilly at the Joie Stadium now.

Here come the teams. Kick-off is just a few moments away.

Both sides are looking for their first win in this year's Champions League after draws in their opening games.

Image source, BBC Sport

Each week we challenge you to work out which Women's Super League player we are thinking of.

If you can guess correctly from the first clue - superb! If it takes you five clues to get it right, still - nice work.

Think you can rise to the challenge? You can have a go at this week's puzzle by clicking here.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Joie Stadium

It could be an entertaining fixture tonight with both teams boasting some of the most exciting attacking players in Europe.

England international Lauren Hemp has been in excellent form for City, and Khadija Shaw was last season's player of the year.

Real Madrid duo Felicia Schroder and Linda Caicedo will be handful for City's defence and they will need to be sharp.

City boss Andree Jeglertz was asked about Schroder in his media conference and he said he knew her well as a fellow Swede.

Both teams have looked a little patchy in defence at the start of the season too, so it could be an open game of football.

Let's hope for lots of goals!

Image source, Getty Images

Nosy neighbours?

Manchester United's Jess Park, Simi Awujo and Jayde Riviere are among the interested parties in the crowd at Joie Stadium tonight.

Manchester City have won their past seven home games in the Women’s Champions League by an aggregate score of 16-1 – the longest such run by any English side in the competition.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz did not comment on whether he had received assurances that the women's team would not be impacted after the club was found guilty of Premier League financial breaches.

Jeglertz, who joined City last summer, said it was "business as usual" and when asked about how the women's team could be affected, added: "I don't want to comment more around that."

There were seven questions in total posed to Jeglertz relating to the charges before Manchester City's press officer requested the media moved away from it.

The club has been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

The Premier League said City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m.

The club continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.

The women's team were the first representatives of the club to address the media since the guilty charges were confirmed by the Premier League.

It is still unknown what impact the charges could have on the women's team, though BBC Sport understands there is no active investigation taking place from WSL Football.

Manchester City

After drawing at Bayern Munich in their opening game and hosting Real Madrid tonight, City have a number of big-name sides still to face in their four remaining league phase games:

• Paris St-Germain (H)
• Inter (A)
• Hacken (A)
• Austria Vienna (H)

Manchester City will face Real Madrid for the first time in the Women’s Champions League, with the City having won just twice across their previous eight meetings with Spanish sides in the competition (D2 L4).

However, Madrid have won just one of their nine games against English opposition in the competition (D2 L6), beating Arsenal 2-0 in the 2024-25 quarter-finals – against no other foreign nation do Real have such a low win rate (11%; 3-plus games played).

Does that mean a draw is the most likely result then?

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Joie Stadium

It's been a strange week for Manchester City as Saturday's victory over Charlton Athletic continued their 100% start to the Women's Super League season, but came amid the backdrop of the Premier League's confirmation of the guilty ruling of the club's breach of rules.

They are different regulations to the WSL and is not against the women's team, though naturally there are concerns from supporters that there could be knock-on effects for Andree Jeglertz's side.

Manager Jeglertz and defender Jade Rose faced media yesterday - the first representatives of the club to do so.

There was still uncertainty from them and not many answers. We might not know any more for a while either.

But the players seemed in good spirits in training when I attended yesterday and are excited to get back to football matters today.

Their challenge is to put that background noise to one side and deliver in the Champions League at home for the first time this season.

It's been an interesting weeks for the British sides in Europe with plenty of talking points but, as yet, no wins.

In the Champions League, Arsenal looked set for victory at Paris FC, only for Leah Williamson's strange handball to gift the hosts a late penalty and to secure a 2-2.

A point will have frustrated the Gunners but Chelsea will be satisfied having taken a hard-earned away point from eight-time European champions Lyon in a 0-0 draw - stopping the French side scoring for the first time in in 20 Champions League games.

Meanwhile, both Rangers and Hearts exited the Europa Cup after heavy defeats by Hammarby and Real Sociedad, respectively.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter at Joie Stadium

Andree Jeglertz makes five changes to the Manchester City side who beat Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita returns, alongside summer signing Carlota Wamser.

Yui Hasegawa is back in midfield with Sam Coffey dropping to the bench. Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw start up front.

Manchester City XI: Yamashita, Casparij, Rose, Greenwood, Wamser, Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa, Fowler, Fujino, Hemp, Shaw.

Subs: Cumings, Moorhouse, Clinton, Mead, Coffey, Charles, Beney, Prior, Lewis, Burdon.

There's some big names in the Real Madrid team as Linda Caicedo becomes the first Colombian to reach 30 European appearances.

Young Swedish forward Felicia Schroder, who attracted a lot of interest in the transfer window, is also a big threat for the visitors.

Midfielder Filippa Angeldahl is a former Manchester City player and she is on the bench.

Real Madrid XI: Frohms, Navarro, Lakrar, Andersson, Cristobal, Caruso, Senss, Jacinto, Athenea, Schroder, Caicedo.

Subs: Lopez, Noemi, Comendador, Keukelaar, Dabritz, Bruun, Beerensteyn, Mendez, Dorado, Angeldahl, Holmgaard, Martin.

Right, before we go any further, let's see some team news...

Image source, Getty Images

Well, it's been quite the week for Manchester City...

Speculation has been rife as to what punishment may been imposed upon the club after they were found guilty of Premier League financial breaches.

The club continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.

But the international break in the men's game means the first City team in action since the verdict was announced will be Andree Jeglertz's WSL champions.

What any of this ultimately means for the women's side remains to be seen but what we do know is that tonight they take on Real Madrid in a huge Champions League game.

So for the next couple of hours, at least, City will be hope to block out the noise and focus on actually playing football.