Manchester City vs Real Madrid prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2024-04-16 19:00.
[p]After last week’s entertaining 3-3 draw at the Bernabéu, Manchester City and Real Madrid lock horns again with the victor earning a UEFA Champions League semi-final place. After City manager Pep Guardiola praised his side for their ability to “adapt quickly to chaos” in the first leg which they led inside two minutes only to trail at half-time, they warmed up for this by hammering Luton 5-1 on Saturday to move two points clear at the Premier League summit.[/p]
[p]Confidence should therefore be high, especially after beating Madrid 4-0 here in last season’s semi-final, and another victory would see the Cityzens equal their club record of 42 consecutive home matches undefeated, achieved between 1919 and 1921. They’re also aiming to emulate AC Milan as the only previous side to knock Madrid out of the European Cup/Champions League in consecutive seasons![/p]
[p]It is not often that 14-time European champions Real Madrid go into a match as such clear outsiders as they will be here, and they had to work hard at the weekend to beat Mallorca 1-0, although manager Carlo Ancelotti was able to rest players with them clear at the top of La Liga. But even with his strongest available team, this is a tough test as they’ve won just one of the last seven H2Hs (D2, L4).[/p]
[p]Ancelotti made the bold claim that his side “aren’t going to win the game through fitness, but through attitude,” making it clear he knows they’ll need more than just fresh legs to reach their fourth straight UCL semi-final. But their bogey team stands between them and five consecutive UCL road wins as Los Blancos have never beaten Man City in England, losing each of the last three such fixtures![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Joško Gvardiol has emerged as a potential scoring option for Man City having netted after the 70th minute in the first leg and against Luton on Saturday. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham is the UCL’s joint-leading assister ahead of the four quarter-final second legs and he has netted three of his last five club goals between the 50th and 60th minute.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Just one of the last 13 halves of H2H action saw no goals scored.[/p]