Manchester City will look to book their place in the final round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League when they welcome current holders Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
The Cityzens snatched a credible draw in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, with a second-half wonder strike from Kevin De Bruyne cancelling an equally devastating strike from Vinicius Junior in the first half.
That result leaves this tie finely poised ahead of the two teams’ tenth head-to-head meeting in this competition.
Both sides have three wins each in the previous eight meetings, but who will get the win here and join Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul?
Manchester City vs Real Madrid Preview
Pep Guardiola’s side continued their match toward their third consecutive Premier League title with a 3-0 win over Everton on Saturday. The win, coupled with Arsenal’s shock 3-0 defeat to Brighton, means that Guardiola’s history-makers need just two points to seal the Premier League title.
With the Premier League title almost in the bag, the hosts will be desperate to win this tie as they continue their quest for a historic treble, having already sealed a place in the FA Cup final.
They have the quality and momentum to achieve their aim, having not tasted defeat in any competitive game since February (W18, D4).
The Sky Blues are even more deadly at home, having won their last 14 home games in all competitions. Added to that is an unbeaten UCL run at the Etihad Stadium that stretches back to September 2018 (W22, D2).
However, Real Madrid has the advantage of having rested more players ahead of this game. A much-changed Los Blancos side snatched a 1-0 win over Getafe in an inconsequential match that had no impact on the La Liga title race.
So, the visitors’ eyes are fully planted on this tournament as they target a place in their final for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, manager Carlo Ancelotti is aiming for five consecutive Champions League wins over British opposition on foreign soil, having already beaten Liverpool and Chelsea this season.
However, that run only started after his side 4-3 at the Etihad last season. Hence, the Italian knows how difficult it is to play Man City away with Los Blancos winless in four away trips to the Etihad (D2, L2).
Team News
Other than Nathan Ake, who is out with a hamstring injury, Pep Guardiola has a clean bill of health. The City boss is expected to start the same starting XI that got a result in the first leg.
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti has a full Real Madrid squad available, with Eder Militao back from suspension and Eduardo Camavinga overcoming a knock.
Where to watch Manchester City vs Real Madrid
The match between Manchester City and Real Madrid will be shown live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate, with coverage underway at 7 pm. The game will also be streamed on the BT Sport app.
Predicted lineups
Predicted Manchester City Munich Lineup: Ederson Moraes, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland.
Predicted Real Madrid Lineup: Thibaut Courtois, Daniel Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Rodrygo, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
