Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Etihad Stadium forms the backdrop for the first leg of a mouth-watering Champions League playoff tie between Manchester City and Real Madrid.

These are unpleasant times for Manchester City, even though they came from behind to eliminate lower-league Leyton Orient from the FA Cup last weekend (2-1). Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men have conceded first in back-to-back home outings, not to mention Arsenal hammered them 5-1 in the Premier League a week ago. Therefore, Madrid’s visit doesn’t bode well, considering they’ve bowed out to the record-time champions in three out of four previous knockout ties. The Citizens can draw confidence from not conceding in the opening 30 minutes of Champions League action this season as they bid to defy an indifferent European record in 2024/25 (W3, D2, L3). Guardiola’s charges alternated between victories (2) and draws (2) in their four home outings during the league stage, scoring 3+ goals in the last three.

On the other hand, Real Madrid smashed Brest 3-0 on the final league-phase matchday to make it three Champions League wins on the spin after back-to-back defeats beforehand. With each victory seeing them score at least three goals, ‘Los Merengues’ should take this trip in a buoyant mood, regardless of a gut-wrenching 1-1 draw against fierce La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid at the weekend. Carlo Ancelotti’s side last failed to make it out of the opening Champions League knockout round in 2019/20, though it was ominously against upcoming opposition Man City. A 2-1 defeat in the away leg forms part of Madrid’s underwhelming overall record on these shores (W9, D6, L11), perhaps highlighting the size of the task awaiting them this midweek.