The First-Leg
The first leg of this tie was an instant Champions League classic at the Santiago Bernabeu. The two sides battled hard to provide one of the most entertaining games we have seen this season.
City took an early lead in the Spanish capital, as a clever free kick from Bernardo Silva caught Andriy Lunin off guard as he buried his strike into the bottom corner.
With many thinking the Blues could run away with the game, Los Blancos quickly put their worries to bed. Their dangerous counter-attacking play saw Camavinga create space on the edge of the box. The Frenchman struck from distance and a massive deflection off Ruben Dias saw the ball roll into the net to level the score.
Madrid quickly turned the game on its head, as yet another quick attack saw Rodrygo through on goal. Another unfortunate deflection this time off Manuel Akanji saw goalkeeper Stefan Ortega beaten again as the Spanish side took the lead.
In the second half, City were determined to get back into the game. Despite a dominant start to the half by Real, a moment of magic saw Phil Foden rifle a shot fantastically into the top corner to bring the Blues back onto level terms.
The quality of goals would not let up after Foden’s wonder goal, as Josko Gvardiol unleashed a brilliant strike from the edge of the box on his weaker foot which nestled in the cop corner, giving City the lead yet again in emphatic style.
However, like with all great UCL ties, it was still not over. A great run from Luka Modric saw him find Vinicius Jr on the edge of the box. The Brazilian played a fantastic ball Federico Valverde who struck emphatically on the volley to yet again level the scores as the game ended 3-3.
Team News
Pep Guardiola has announced that his Manchester City squad is fully available ahead of the second leg at the Etihad.
He will have a decision to make over the goalkeeper situation. Ortega although conceding three goals in the first leg has been very impressive during Ederson’s absence. However, the Brazilian’s quality is immense, and leaving him out of the starting lineup could be risky.
Kevin De Bruyne will also likely return to the starting lineup after missing the first leg in Madrid. Guardiola revealed that De Bruyne was supposed to start that game, but he suffered from sickness in the dressing room and therefore was not in an able state to play.
Ruben Dias will also be an interesting decision for Guardiola to make ahead of the game. The Portuguese defender is one yellow card away from suspension. The suspension would mean he would miss the first leg of the semi-final if City were to progress.
Real Madrid also have no new injuries ahead of the second leg in Manchester.
The big team news issue that Los Blancos have to face is the absence of Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman picked up a yellow card in the first minute of the first leg at the Bernabeu. This card meant that he is now suspended for the second leg at the Etihad. He will be a big miss after his recent performances for the club.
Jude Bellingham also finds himself in the same situation as Dias in the fact that a yellow card will see him suspended for any potential semi-final first-leg if they were to progress. After he struggled in the first leg, it will be interesting to see whether Carlo Ancelotti will decide to start the Englishman on his home soil.
This game is set to be one of the most important games in this year’s competition. With many people touting that the winner of this game will likely be the one to go on and win the whole tournament.#
It is the historical winners versus the new starlets. The question is, who will come out on top? The scores will be settled tonight at the Etihad Stadium.