Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are all set to host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
Real Madrid will be looking to book their spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with another clinical performance against Manchester City, this time away from home. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men will be looking to script history and overturn a three-goal deficit from the first leg.
While the general consensus was that Manchester City would easily go past a struggling Real Madrid outfit this time around, this fixture has once again surprised everyone. Los Blancos dominated the Premier League giants at home, and thanks to Federico Valverde’s exceptional performance, they secured a 3-0 win at home.
Now, the team in white will just look to get the job done away from home. While it might look like the tie is done and dusted, the track record of the two teams suggests it’s not over until the final whistle is blown. Expect City to go all-out attack from the start and push the Merengues on the back foot.
Post their defeat to Real Madrid, Manchester City could only manage a draw against West Ham United in their last outing. It was a massive blow in their quest for the league title. Pep Guardiola’s men are certainly not in the best of form, and they will have to put up one of the best performances ever to go past the Spanish giants.
Meanwhile, the away side are in fine form heading into this fixture. The Merengues have won each of their last three games, and following their win over Manchester City, they smashed Elche 4-1 in the league. Real Madrid will certainly be high on confidence heading into this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Manchester City will only be without the services of Rico Lewis (ankle) and Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad.
The home side will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in goal. Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri are expected to be the full-backs, while Ruben Dias will pair up with Marc Guehi in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will continue in the holding role, with skipper Bernardo Silva and Nico O’Reilly in his support. The trio will look to ensure they control the tempo and dominate the proceedings at home.
Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki are expected to feature on the flanks for Manchester City, while star forward Erling Haaland will lead the line against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, Rodri, O’Reilly; Semenyo, Haaland, Cherki
Real Madrid
Alvaro Arbeloa remains without the services of some of his biggest stars, just like in the first leg. Kylian Mbappe (knee), Dani Ceballos (calf), Jude Bellingham (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL), Alvaro Carreras (calf), Ferland Mendy (hamstring), and David Alaba (calf) are all sidelined. Meanwhile, Eder Militao (hamstring) and Raul Asencio (fitness issue) are both major doubts.
The team in white will also be lining up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will continue in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran Garcia are expected to be the full-backs, while Antonio Rudiger will pair up with Dean Huijsen in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni will take up the holding role in the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga will be in his support . The trio will have a lot of defending to do in this fixture, with City expected to have the majority of the ball.
Arda Guler will feature as the false nine, and he will have the freedom to move around, while Brahim Diaz will take charge on the right flank, and Vinicius Junior will feature on the left wing.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, Rudiger, Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Diaz, Guler, Vinicius Jr
Key Stats
- Following Real Madrid’s 3-0 win in the first leg, Los Blancos have now won six out of the 16 meetings between the two teams, while Manchester City have five wins to their name.
- Real Madrid and Manchester City fixtures in the UEFA Champions League average over three goals per game, with 54 goals in 16 meetings so far.
- Pep Guardiola has not seen his side progress from a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie after losing the first leg since the 2014/15 quarter-finals with Bayern Munich (7-4 on aggregate vs FC Porto), failing to advance in each of the five instances since then, and in all three with current club Manchester City.
- Pep Guardiola could fail to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for a second consecutive season (eliminated in the play-off round in 2024/25). Guardiola was only eliminated prior to the quarter-finals in one of his first 15 editions as a manager in the competition (2016/17 with Manchester City).
- Real Madrid are heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins, while Manchester City have only won one out of their last four in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
Despite drawing a blank in each of their last four outings across all competitions, Erling Haaland remains Manchester City’s biggest hope heading into this crucial second leg against Real Madrid. The Norwegian striker has still enjoyed an impressive campaign, contributing 29 goals and seven assists in 41 appearances so far.
With the home side needing a special performance to overturn a three-goal deficit, Haaland’s presence in the box and his ability to convert even half-chances could prove decisive. Real Madrid will expect Manchester City to attack relentlessly from the start, and that should result in plenty of service into the area, where Haaland thrives the most.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid
Manchester City are expected to come flying out of the blocks as they attempt to overturn a daunting three-goal deficit. Pep Guardiola’s team will likely dominate possession and push Real Madrid deep into their own half in search of an early breakthrough. With the Etihad crowd behind them, City certainly have the firepower to cause problems, but they will also need to remain cautious against Madrid’s lethal counter-attacking threat.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be more than happy to absorb pressure and play on the break, knowing they already hold a comfortable advantage from the first leg. With the pace of their attackers and the experience within their squad, Los Blancos should still find opportunities to hurt Manchester City.
While the home side might manage to secure a win on the night, Real Madrid’s advantage could ultimately prove decisive. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Guardiola and his charges. Alvaro Arbeloa’s charges progress to the round of 16 with an aggregate score of 4-2.
