Real Madrid and Manchester City meet in the Champions League round of 16 for the third season in a row when Los Blancos host Pep Guardiola at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
The two groups have split the last two meetings, and occasionally, the winner would take home the trophy. In 2022, Real Madrid overcame a 4-3 deficit in the first leg with a 3-1 home win in the second leg to qualify. Semifinals. The following year, Manchester City beat Real Madrid 4-0 at home in the second leg to book a place in the final.
Interestingly, while both clubs are embarking on a long unbeaten run, neither team comes into this clash quietly.
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Real Madrid haven’t lost to anyone other than Atletico Madrid all year, but they have drawn 4 games since the beginning of February, 3 of them at home. Meanwhile, Man City have not been beaten at any festival in 2024 but are facing a deficit in the race for the Premier League name as Erling Haaland struggles with a drop in goals.
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As three-time defending champions, Manchester City are slight away favourites at the Bernabeu, but it is indeed difficult to decide, and the market reflects this, as both groups are more likely to win.
Goals are also expected, albeit too much: Erling Haaland’s poor goalscoring form and Real Madrid’s messy attack have also deafened the market a little.
To put it bluntly, Manchester City are more vulnerable than ever in European football. While Real Madrid don’t exactly feel like a Champions League contender either, based on their recent performances, they’re not as depressed as City. Genuine nervousness among City enthusiasts that they can maintain their remarkable treble with a trophy-free season.
Pep Guardiola has managed to keep the team afloat despite injuries and fitness issues, and Phil Foden has led this team when needed, but it seems like a defeat has been brewing for some time now. two-legged tie, but leaving the Bernabéu with a result would be impressive.
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The only two Real Madrid players injured at the moment are those who suffered ACL tears this season. David Alaba finished the season after undergoing cruciate ligament surgery in December, while Thibaut Courtois almost made it back before a torn meniscus sidelined him. until May. Eder Militao, who tore his ACL last summer, has just returned and will be slowly recovered, probably not yet fit to play a starting role.
Manchester City’s injury list is just as short, but those who appear to be critical players. Notably, Kyle Walker is out with a hamstring issue, and his absence will be felt strongly on the right flank, opposite Madrid superstar Vinicus Jr. The one ruled out is Nathan Ake, who is just starting to make a comeback after suffering a calf injury last month. The good news is that goalkeeper Ederson is “much better” according to Pep Guardiola and may be available for this match, while Josko Gvardiol is doubtful.
Of course, we expect Real Madrid to take a win, but the price here is too smart to pass it up for the Premier League’s in-form top striker. While Erling Haaland is collapsing (at least by his standards), Phil Foden is collecting a volume to Haaland’s in front of goal.
The 23-year-old has scored two hat-tricks in the Premier League since the start of February and has been smart in his final product in terms of chances, taking 39 shots in nine games during that time worth 4. 47xG. He has also carried that perfect form from the Premier League to Europe, scoring in 4 of his six Champions League games so far, adding the away win in Copenhagen and one at the organisational level at RB Leipzig.
Foden was rested this weekend against Crystal Palace, so he will be fully compatible for this vitally important match. Haaland’s scoring chances are also intriguing given his prolific Champions League history, but Foden’s price tag is too attractive to avoid.
While recent clashes between those two groups have seen cumulative goals from both sides, there are several reasons why this game may be different. First of all, the last time Real Madrid hosted Man City in the first leg of a UCL match last year, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
In addition, the stars on both sides are in questionable goal form. While Vinicius Jr is on a roll, Rodrygo has to crumble. Rodrygo scored a brace against Athletic Club last time out with Vinicus suspended, but even with that pairing, he has only scored three goals in La Liga in 2024 and failed to score in any of the knockout stages against RB Leipzig.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland is going through the toughest crisis of his Manchester City career, with six goals in 12 Premier League and Champions League games since returning from injury at the end of January. While those numbers are still wonderful for top strikers, by astronomical standards, they’re low-key.
And yet. . . It’s too risky to pick less than 2. 5 slightly even goals. The price here is putrid, but if you’re looking for a smart parlay option, this is the one. It’s hard to see this game turning into a Barnburn Burner, but protecting half of the base is essential.
There is one guy who is above the rest at Real Madrid when it comes to damaging occasions, and that is Vinicius Jr. Rodrygo takes over when his Brazilian compatriot is absent or out, Vinicius is the first call-up on the list of players. Madrid’s attacking options.
In addition, Vinicius has recently been an early option for Real Madrid. Since returning from injury in mid-January, Vinicus has scored in six La Liga games and one in the Champions League. Of those seven games, he has been the first scorer in 4 of them, adding the last three, and has been the first scorer of his team in another two after Madrid’s deficit.
This Champions League quarterfinal first leg will be broadcast in English exclusively by Paramount, as CBS Sports reported that the Arsenal vs. Arsenal match. Bayern Munich will be televised on the network.
However, Real Madrid vs. Man City will be televised in Spanish on TUDN and UniMas, which can be broadcast on Fubo. Finally, it will also be available to be broadcast in Spanish on ViX.
In the UK, the match will be televised locally on TNT Sports 2 and broadcast on the broadcaster’s dedicated streaming service, Discovery. In Canada, the exclusive streaming provider for the UEFA Champions League is DAZN, which will broadcast as it does for each and every match. in this year’s UCL competition.