Two Spanish giants eliminated in the Champions League, Real Madrid and Barcelona, remain after the exit of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
The Champions League quarterfinal match between Real Madrid and Manchester City is hanging in the balance after the previous week's exciting 3-3 draw at the Bernabeu.
On Wednesday, the current holders will host the all-time winners at Etihad Stadium in a matchup between two teams vying for a spot in the semifinals.
Real Madrid scored twice in as many minutes to take a 2-1 lead after 14 minutes of the first leg, despite Manchester City's early advantage in the opening two minutes.
Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol scored from long range to put the away team up 3-2 in the middle of the second half. Federico Valverde then levelled the score for Los Blancos.
Pep Guardiola's squad extended their undefeated run to 27 matches in every division with a 5-1 demolition of Luton Town on Saturday, following up that draw.
City will enter the title defence with high confidence after winning eight and drawing one of their nine Champions League games this season. They have scored three goals in each of those nine games.
On Saturday, Real Madrid bounced back from the first-leg tie with a 1-0 win against Mallorca. Real Madrid had 57% dominance and 16 shots compared to Mallorca's 6 shots.
Carlo Ancelotti's squad has gone undefeated in their past fifteen matches in all contests, with just one loss in their last thirty-seven games.
With a record of 7 victories, 2 draws, and 21 goals scored (2.3 per game) in the Champions League this season, Los Blancos have been a formidable opponent.
Additionally, it should be mentioned that Real Madrid has won all four of their UCL away games this season, scoring nine goals while on the road (2.3 goals per game).
In their most recent seven Champions League encounters, Manchester City have prevailed against Real Madrid by a score of 1.
Expect a high-scoring battle on Wednesday based on the 28 goals scored in the seven matches (4 goals per game).
In other team news, Ederson and Kyle Walker are back in play, leaving just John Stones as an injury worry for Manchester City.
In contrast, Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba of Real Madrid are still out with injuries, while Aurelien Tchouameni will sit out the return match owing to suspension.
If the opening match was any indication, two of Europe's best teams will engage in another intense showdown in Wednesday's final.
Jude Bellingham, a Real Madrid star, says the club will beat Manchester City and book a spot in Wembley.
Bellingham said,Man City interest last summer? I spoke to a lot of clubs, but as soon as Real Madrid came in, it was a no-brainer”. I didn’t even need to think."
“The Real Madrid project, the future plans, the players... I jumped at the decision to join them. No other way”.
TV Channels that will air Manchester City vs Real Madrid - 17/04/2024
- GOTV
- DSTV
- Azam Sports
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