UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid will this evening play struggling Manchester City in the first leg of the home-and-away knockout phase of the new league format championship.
The Spanish giants lifted both the La Liga and Champions League titles last season and are seen as favorites to prevail against the Premier League champions.
Despite the recent struggles in form, Man City has enjoyed a fierce rivalry against Real Madrid in the elite European football competition and will be determined to overcome the 15-time UCL champions at Etihad Stadium tonight.
Form Guide
The Cityzens have struggled to keep clean sheets in their previous five matches across all competitions.
Pep Guardiola’s side has recorded three wins and two defeats in their last five matches. In the UEFA Champions League, the former holders have recorded a win and a defeat.
They lost 4-2 to Paris Saint Germain before beating Club Brugge in matchday eight, which saw them finish 22nd.
Overall, Man only won three matches out of eight. City was beaten by Sporting Lisbon and Juventus, blew a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at home to Feyenoord, and conceded four times in the final 35 minutes at Paris Saint-Germain.
On the other hand, Real Madrid, despite sitting first in La Liga, is coming off a highly contested Madrid derby against Atletico that ended 1-all.
With four wins in the last five across all competitions, Real will be aiming to bounce back from the draw and march forward against a star-studded Man City.
In the Champions League group fixtures, Real Madrid hasn’t performed any better than Man City, winning only five of their eight matches.
Squad updates
The Premier League side has been bolstered by the availability of their three new signings—Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Gonzalez—who are free to face the Spanish champions. Guardiola’s tactical options will also be enhanced by the return from injury of Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Jeremy Doku.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be without defenders Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Antonio Rudiger due to injuries.
Head-to-head
In 14 meetings, Man City has managed to record 5 wins compared to 4 by Real Madrid, while 5 have ended in stalemates.
The teams last met in the 2024 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, with Antonio Rudiger scoring the decisive penalty to help Madrid to a 4-3 shootout away triumph over holders Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.
Betting Tip & Odds
Manchester City has not done well this season across all competitions. On the other hand, Real Madrid hAS performed fairly well. So try a direct win for Real Madrid with the odds of 3.55.
