Manchester City vs Real Madrid Preview

Manchester City will return to Champions League action this Wednesday when they welcome the competition’s reigning champions Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium.

The Cityzens come into this tie on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Everton in the Premier League. That win, coupled with Arsenal’s shocking 3-0 loss to Brighton on Sunday, means that Pep Guardiola’s side need only one win to secure the Premier League title.

However, the Champions League remains the most important trophy for the hosts, who will be keen to end their ill luck in this tournament this season. They believe they have the tools to do so and to defeat Madrid, given that they are unbeaten in all competitions since early February (W18, D4).

Added to that is an unbeaten UCL run at the Etihad Stadium that stretches back to September 2018 (W22, D2). Four of those victories were against Spanish sides, including most recently, last term’s thrilling 4-3 H2H win in the semi-final first leg. For those reasons, they will fancy their chances here.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid is looking to book a place in the final for the second year in a row. Given their history in this competition, Los Blancos come into this tie as the favourites.

A much-changed Madrid side beat Getafe 1-0 in an inconsequential game that did not affect their league standings so they should travel to the Etihad as the fresher side.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti is aiming for five consecutive UCL wins over British opposition on foreign soil, although that run only started after they lost 4-3 here last season.

While neutrals would love another similarly entertaining affair, Madrid will be desperate for their first-ever H2H away win (D2, L2) so any victory will do for the 14-time UCL champions.