Man City vs Real Madrid – Champions League quarter-final: European giants resume their last-8 thriller – team news
MANCHESTER CITY and Real Madrid resume their mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final tie TONIGHT – and it could go either way.
The first leg at the Bernabeu saw Bernardo Silva give City the lead before Carlo Ancelotti’s men fought back with two goals in two minutes through Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo.
However, Phil Foden continued his stand-out season by levelling the scoring, and then Josko Gvardiol’s incredible strike swung the tie in City’s favour once again.
But in true Madrid style, Federico Valverde volleyed home a sensational effort, leaving the tie at 3-3 going into the second leg.
Both teams will have momentum going into this game after winning their respective domestic league matches on the weekend.
City moved top of the Premier League table with a 5-1 win over Luton.
While Real extended their lead as LaLiga kings by beating Mallorca 1-0.
Both sides will be desperate to not crash out of the Champions League at this stage.
And both Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti will have their men fully aware of what’s at stake, having won the tournament six times between them.
So it is not to be missed and SunSport has all the information on the upcoming blockbuster below.
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What is their form like?
City are proving extremely difficult to beat, having not lost in their previous 27 matches in all competitions.
Their last defeat came in December against Aston Villa, and they have won 22 games along the way.
That run has seen City reclaim top spot in the Premier League while putting them on the brink of the FA Cup final.
And they will be eager to ensure they remain unbeaten when they head into Wednesday’s European encounter.
As for Real, they are unbeaten in their last 15 matches.
Their last defeat came in January when they were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Atletico Madrid.
And should Real lose to City, things won’t get any easier as they face fierce rivals Barcelona in the league on Sunday.
What’s the team news?
Pep Guardiola joked that influential midfielder Rodri will miss the second leg against Real Madrid before revealing that he is fit to play after being rested during the Luton thrashing.
Kyle Walker made his return to the bench following an injury he picked up on international duty with England.
However, the City boss will be sweating over the fitness of John Stones who has muscle issues.
Elsewhere, David Alaba (cruciate ligament), Thibaut Courtois (knee) and Aurelien Tchouameni (suspended) are all unavailable for Madrid.
Who are the star men?
There are incredible players on both sides, with Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr sure to make an impact.
But the game is likely to be decided between England team-mates Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.
Both playmakers have been in sensational form, which will hopefully bode well for the Three Lions’ Euro chances this summer.
What have the managers said?
Pep Guardiola: “We know we can handle momentum. We are going for it. We have a gameplan we believe in, and we are going for it.
“If we lose, we lose. We shake hands – Real Madrid will deserve it. I want us to play and deserve to be in the semi-finals.
“You have to adjust something from Bernabeu – the result was good, but we have to perform a little better.
“We need to feel the pressure – we don’t want to lose the game. We need hunger to compete.
“We need to be who we are. Always in the last years, we have been, and I have the feeling we are ready to perform well. If you don’t, you will not beat teams like Real Madrid.
“Real Madrid know us, we know them. Carlos made some surprises in the first game. We need the right mentality, be ready to suffer, always we had momentum. In that way always we can do it.
“We have to give them credit – Real Madrid are not just any opponent.”
Carlo Ancelotti: “We are not going to win the game [vs Manchester City] through fitness, but through attitude. City are physically very strong.
“The team has been very solid and continuous and in this sense, what we have done.
“We have not always played well, but we have always competed.
“This is the good thing. Everyone talks about quality. It’s true.
“We have a squad with a lot of quality, but the higher the quality, the more difficult it is to find commitment. Even now, we search for it.”
SunSport’s prediction
City and Real are the two best teams in the world, and this really should have been the final.
Both sides have players capable of changing a game in seconds.
But there can only be one winner.
And SunSport is backing City to emerge victors by the narrowest of margins — albeit with plenty more goals from both sides.
Final score prediction: Man City 3 Real Madrid 2 (6-5 agg)
When is Man City vs Real Madrid?
- Manchester City’s titanic Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid will take place on Wednesday, April 17.
- It is scheduled to kick off at 8pm BST.
- The Etihad is the chosen venue for this huge clash and it can host approximately 53,400.
- It ended 3-3 in the first leg.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- Manchester City vs Real Madrid will be broadcast LIVE on TNT Sports 1
- Coverage is expected to commence from 7pm BST – a whole hour before kick-off.
- Fans can stream the action on discovery+.
- Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute action through our live blog.
What are the odds?
- Man City to win 4/6
- Draw 3/1
- Real Madrid to win 19/5
To qualify
- Man City 1/3
- Real Madrid 21/10
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes are correct at time of publication