Champions League: Manchester City vs Real Madrid Live
Preview: Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Manchester City vs Real Madrid will come off at the Etihad stadium on Wednesday at 7:00pm for the second leg of their champions league quarter final tie. The previous game at the Bernabeu featured impressive goals from both teams, resulting in a thrilling 3-3 draw. The winner of Wednesday’s match will advance to the semi-finals to face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich.
City manager Pep Guardiola commended his team for their ability to quickly adjust to challenging situations in the first leg, where they initially led but then fell behind by halftime. City further demonstrated their strength by defeating Luton 5-1 over the weekend, moving two points ahead at the top of the Premier League. With a recent 4-0 victory over Madrid in last season’s semi-final, City is in high spirits and aiming to match their club record of 42 consecutive home matches without defeat. Additionally, they are looking to become only the second team after AC Milan to eliminate Madrid from the European Cup/Champions League in back-to-back seasons.
It is a rare occurrence for Real Madrid, who have won the European championship 14 times, to enter a match as significant underdogs as they will be in this upcoming game. Despite a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Mallorca over the weekend, manager Carlo Ancelotti was able to rotate his squad due to their comfortable lead in La Liga.
Ancelotti emphasized that their success in the game will not solely rely on physical fitness but also on their attitude, acknowledging that they will need more than just energy to advance to their fourth consecutive UEFA Champions League semi-final. Real Madrid’s historical struggles against Manchester City in England add to the difficulty, as they have never defeated them on English soil, losing in each of their last three encounters.
Head-to-head
In recent years, Man City and Madrid have faced each other multiple times. Manchester City avenged their elimination in the 2021/22 semi-finals by defeating Real Madrid at the same stage last season. Manchester City has won their last three home matches against Real Madrid, scoring a total of ten goals in those games.
Prediction
In the last five matches between City and Real, a total of 23 goals have been scored, averaging 4.6 goals per game. Another exciting match is expected between the two teams, both of which have fully fit attacking players. While it is unlikely that Guardiola’s team will repeat the four-goal victory from almost a year ago, Man City is predicted to continue their success and defeat Madrid, potentially causing disappointment for the Spanish team.
