Manchester City and Real Madrid clash heads tomorrow night at the Eithad Stadium as they kick-off the first round of the Champions League Semifinals!
Manchester City
Manchester City are just a few wins away from securing the Premier League title, but all focus will now shift to the Madrid challenge. A goalless draw was enough for the Citizens to edge past Atletico Madrid with a 1-0 aggregate victory. Following their FA Cup exit to Liverpool, the Citizens have delivered some dominating displays in the Premier League – breezing past Brighton with a 3-0 win and crushing Watford 5-1. Gabriel Jesus was the man to watch over the weekend, scoring 4 goals and bagging 1 assist. In addition to their high moral, the Citizens have gone unbeaten at the Etihad in their Champions League campaign since a 2-1 loss to Lyon in 2018. Furthermore, they have breezed through the knockout stages on this season`s campaign without conceding a single goal. All-in-all, the Pep`s side has been extremely efficient in both attack and defense, and it will take an impressive effort for the Madrid side to break the Manchester side down.
Real Madrid
Regardless of Manchester City`s form, Real Madrid have similarly been enjoying an impressive 2021/2022 campaign. Carlo Ancelotti`s side are now just one win away from becoming the Spanish Champions. However, finding themselves with a comfortable 3-1 first-leg lead against Chelsea in the Quarterfinals the Madrid outfit have nearly fumbled their Champions League hopes in the second leg, but 2 late goals from Rodrygo and Benzema allowed them to scrape into the Semifinals. The Quarterfinals served as an indication of Madrid`s shaky backline which can be a huge problem against a Manchester side that have been tearing through their opponents` defense. Real Madrid should never be considered as an early write-off, but they will definitely have to put in an extra shift if they are to secure the first-leg advantage.
Verdict
These 2 behemoth sides are separated by fine margins. Looking at their H2H, they both hold 2 victories and have finished the rest of the meetings with 2 draws. Pre-determining a certain winner can be risky in this match, but we can definitely expect an exciting game with a few goals.
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