Real Madrid will travel to the Etihad to face off against Manchester City in the second leg of the UCL Quarter-Final. The first leg produced an absolute masterclass as the night ended 3-3 after 90 minutes of action at the Santiago Bernabeu. Every goal in the game was splendid and this ensures that the second leg is going to be an exciting one to watch.
It is the third consecutive year that these two sides are going against each other in the UCL knockouts. During the 2021-22 season, Real Madrid came back in the dying minutes to get the better of City and move into the finals. The following year, Manchester was able to get their revenge as they defeated Madrid in the Semis to set up a UCL Final encounter against Inter Milan.
Both these teams come into the encounter in red-hot form. Real Madrid have won four of their last five games, while City’s last loss came in December against Aston Villa. Both these sides are evenly matched, but Madrid’s UCL record is something that cannot be ignored. The Los Blancos have played in some of the most intense fixtures in the competition, but they have always managed to come out of it as winners. Once again a big test in City awaits them and they will need their elite mentality to outplay Pep Guardiola’s men.
Real Madrid have a shot at redemption
Last season, Real Madrid were trashed 4-0 at the Etihad in the second leg of the UCL Semis. City showed no mercy to the then-defending champions and cruised into the Finals comfortably. The Spanish side will have the receipts from the previous encounter and will look to seek revenge for the defeat of last season.
Vinicius Jr. had a great first-leg performance against Manchester City. However, that could be attributed to the fact that the treble winners were without Kyle Walker. The England international is expected to play in the second leg, which is a great sigh of relief for Pep. It is still not determined whether he will start or not, but even his presence in the team will be reassuring for the Spanish manager.
Real Madrid are depleted but still have an abundance of talent
Real have not had the blessing of playing with a proper striker this season, but their attacking players have all contributed with goals and assists for them. Jude Bellingham, who made the move to Madrid from Borussia Dortmund is having a terrific season. He has scored 16 goals in all competitions and looked solid in the midfield for the Los Blancos. Vinicius and Rodrygo have also had great seasons and if all these players step up, City will have problems stopping Madrid at the Etihad.
Real managed to keep Erling Haaland quiet for the entirety of the first leg in Madrid. They will have to continue keeping the Norwegian away from the game as he is lethal and could win City the game with his goal-scoring prowess. The fourteen-time champions have one of the best coaches on the touchline and that is what makes them a dangerous side. His ability to make adjustments during a game has won them trophies over the years. Facing a formidable opponent like City is never easy, but Don Carlo is unfazed and will try to inspire his team to get their revenge against the team from Manchester on Tuesday.
