UEFA Champions League: Manchester City vs Real Madrid – Preview and Updates

Football

The UEFA Champions League returns to action this week, with Real Madrid facing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in a crucial semi-final clash at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

Manchester City and Real Madrid will face off in the UEFA Champions League on 18th May 2023 at the Etihad Stadium,Ashton New Rd, Manchester.

Know the Match Details

Competition: Manchester City vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League

Date: Thursday, 18th May 2023

Kickoff: 12:30 AM (IST)

Venue: Etihad Stadium, Ashton New Rd, Manchester

Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Manchester City (Winning Odds – 1.61):

Team News:

Rodri, the defensive midfielder, was taken off late in the win over Everton on Sunday due to a knock, but it is not thought to be serious and he should be available to play.

Due to an injury, defender Nathan Ake missed the first leg last week and may not be able to play on Wednesday.

On Sunday, City manager Pep Guardiola rested Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, and John Stones.

Manchester City Possible Starting Lineup:

Ederson; Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji; Rodri, John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne; Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez

Real Madrid (Winning Odds – 4.85):

Team News:

Carlo Ancelotti should have a full squad to choose from, as Real Madrid’s rising star Eduardo Camavinga is expected to be fit after limping off during a La Liga match last weekend.

Ancelotti calmed Madrid’s fears after the game, saying Camavinga twisted his knee but it would heal quickly and was not a cause for concern.

Madrid will also welcome back defender Eder Militao from a Champions League suspension, and key players Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Luka Modric, Dan Carvajal, and David Alaba should be fit after resting against Getafe on Saturday.

Real Madrid Possible Starting Lineup:

Thibaut Courtois; Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba; Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, Luka Modric; Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio

Manchester City vs Real Madrid Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

In terms of head-to-head records, Real Madrid and Manchester City are on an equal footing, having won four games each out of the 11 matches played between the two teams.
Manchester City has only lost one of their last five UEFA Champions League matches against Real Madrid under Pep Guardiola, winning three of them.
Real Madrid is winless in their last four UEFA Champions League away games against Manchester City, having lost each of the previous two.
Real Madrid has won their last two away games in UEFA Champions League knockout matches against English opponents, defeating Chelsea and Liverpool this season.
Manchester City is unbeaten in their last 25 UEFA Champions League home games, with their last defeat coming at the hands of Lyon in 2018.

Statistics for Manchester City and Real Madrid

Manchester City

Manchester City has not lost a single game in the 2022/23 Champions League season. They have six wins and five draws this year and appear to be title contenders.

What’s more, all five of their victories have come at home. They have looked dominant at Etihad with a goal difference of 20:2. Their most notable home victories have come against RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 (7:0) and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals (3:0). Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are looking very dominant, and this could be their best chance yet to lift the Champions League trophy.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid has only lost one match in the Champions League this season. In fact, prior to the tie in their most recent match, they had a five-game winning streak.

Real Madrid had the most difficult path of any semi-finalist. To get here, they had to beat Liverpool and Chelsea. Los Blancos, on the other hand, made quick work of both English teams, defeating Liverpool 6:2 on aggregate and Chelsea 4:0. Now they face their toughest test to date in Man City, in what many consider to be the final before the final.

Key Facts

Man City has won 33 of their last 35 competitive home games.
Over 2.5 goals have been scored in ten of Manchester City’s last 11 home matches.
Real Madrid has only failed to score in one of their last 12 UCL away games.
When these two teams last met at this venue, Man City won 4:3.

Manchester City vs Real Madrid Prediction

Manchester City have been in superb form this season and appear to be on their way to an unprecedented treble. The Cityzens did well to draw the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu and will look to capitalize on their home advantage this week.

Real Madrid has recently dominated the UEFA Champions League and has become synonymous with competition expertise. On paper, Manchester City is the better team, and they have a slight advantage in this game. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

Watch out for an exciting game with Manchester City to win at the odds of 1.61.

Manchester City vs Real Madrid Key Player:

Kevin De Bruyne – Kevin De Bruyne was fully rested last weekend as Manchester City easily defeated Everton, so he should be ready to go in this game. He’ll most likely start just behind Erling Haaland, who was held back in the first leg by an impressive Antonio Rüdiger.

Last week, De Bruyne gained more and more space as the game progressed, and his impact on Wednesday night should only grow with time.

Only Bernardo Silva (29) attempted more passes in the final third of the field than De Bruyne (22).

—–>Click here for more details of your betting odds<—–