Real Madrid are all set to host Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Real Madrid and Manchester City, two of the most dominant forces in Europe, are all set to square up against each other in the knockout stage of the Champions League for the fifth season running. Los Blancos, who have made it this far via the playoffs, will be looking to secure a decent lead before the second leg in Manchester.
The home team were likely to finish within the top eight and secure an automatic slot in the last 16. But a dramatic defeat at the hands of Benfica in the final matchday meant they could only manage a ninth-placed finish. The Merengues were forced to feature in the play-offs, where they took down Benfica 3-1 on aggregate.
Now Real Madrid are gearing up to face a familiar rival in Manchester City. Los Blancos are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo, but their recent form has not inspired much confidence. But the home side will hope they can put up a strong performance in front of their home fans.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s team somehow secured an eighth-place finish in the league phase and booked a spot straight in the round of 16. Having been knocked out of the competition by Real Madrid last season, Manchester City will be eager to avenge that defeat.
Even the visitors have not been at their best this season, but they are heading into this one on the back of an impressive 3-1 win over Newcastle United. While Guardiola’s men generally tend to dominate proceedings, it will be interesting to see if they can do it against Real Madrid away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Los Blancos will be without the services of quite a few of their stars. Kylian Mbappe (knee), Dani Ceballos (calf), Jude Bellingham (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL), Alvaro Carreras (calf), and Eder Militao (hamstring) are all unavailable for this fixture.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Camavinga (dental) and David Alaba (calf) are both major doubts and will be assessed ahead of kick-off. The team in white will line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will continue in goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy are expected to be the full-backs, while Raul Asencio could pair up with Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni will take up the holding role, while Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga will be in his support in the centre of the park.
If Camavinga is not ready to start, Thiago Pinar could once again find himself in the playing eleven. Finally, Arda Guler will take up the number ten role behind the attacking duo of Gonzalo Garcia and Vinicius Junior.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler; Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior
Manchester City
The visitors will only be without the services of Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Mateo Kovacic (ankle/heel). Apart from the duo, everyone else is expected to be available for selection for Manchester City heading into the game against Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola will revert to his strongest XI after having made ten changes for the FA Cup fixture against Newcastle United this past weekend. His team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal.
Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri are expected to feature as the full-backs, while Ruben Dias will pair up with Marc Guehi in the heart of the defence. The back four will look to keep things tight, and they will receive significant support from Rodri, who will feature in the holding role.
The Ballon d’Or winner will be supported by Bernardo Silva and Nico O’Reilly in the centre of the park. Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush are expected to feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Finally, Erling Haaland will return to the starting XI to lead the line for Manchester City against Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, Rodri, O’Reilly; Semenyo, Haaland, Marmoush
Key Stats
- The two teams have faced each other on 15 occasions in the Champions League, and both teams have won five times.
- Last time Manchester City travelled to the Santiago Bernabeu, they lost 3-1. Meanwhile, City have not won any of their last four meetings against Real Madrid.
- Both teams have faced each other in the last four seasons, and Real Madrid have knocked Manchester City out on three of those occasions.
- The last away team to keep a clean sheet in a UEFA Champions League knockout stage game away to Real Madrid was Barcelona in April 2011, who were then managed by current Man City boss Pep Guardiola (2-0 win). Since then, the Spanish side have scored in 39 in a row, averaging 2.2 goals per match (86 in total).
- Coming into the round of 16 ties, Manchester City have scored the most goals following build-up sequences (6) in the UEFA Champions League this season, while no side have netted more following direct attacks than Real Madrid (4 – level with Benfica). Los Blancos are also ranked first for total direct attacks (31) this term.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
The Brazilian international had a very disappointing first half of the season, but he has managed to get back to his best in recent weeks. However, his record against Manchester City has not been that great, and he will be eager to change that.
In the last six games against Manchester City, Vinicius Junior has failed to find the back of the net. Kyle Walker was the one responsible for keeping the 25-year-old in check, but with the Englishman no longer at the club, the Real Madrid number 7 will hope he can make a difference. With stars like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham unavailable, the pressure is certainly on him.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-2 Manchester City
Real Madrid will look to make the most of the home advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu despite missing a number of key players. Los Blancos have a strong track record against Manchester City in the knockout stages of this competition, and they will hope their experience on the big stage can help them gain an edge in the first leg.
However, Manchester City arrive with a near full-strength squad and possess the quality to hurt Madrid in the final third. Pep Guardiola’s team are capable of controlling possession and creating chances against any opponent.
Given the attacking talent on display for both sides, this clash could turn into an open contest, and it would not be a surprise if the two teams cancel each other out in an entertaining draw. The Hard Tackle predicts an entertaining 2-2 draw in this fixture.
