Manchester City vs Real Madrid prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-02-10 20:00.
[p]For the fourth season running, Manchester City meet Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) knockout stages, although the other three occasions came in the quarter/semi-finals. Incredibly, this season’s tie comes in the knockout play-off round, which means one of these European behemoths won’t even reach the last 16, and after limping past League One Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Saturday (W 2-1) and getting hammered 5-1 by Arsenal in their last Premier League game, City won’t be overly confident. [/p]
[p]Things could have been much worse at Orient for Pep Guardiola’s men, who trailed for a huge chunk of the game, and the fact they also conceded the opener in their last two home games shows they’re fragile at present. Real Madrid probably aren’t the ideal opponent then, not least because City have been eliminated from this competition more often by the record winners than any other club (three times). [/p]
[p]Although a tie with City normally would mean an intense battle, Real are likely to strongly fancy their chances this time around, especially considering they have dumped out an English club from the knockout stages in each of the last four UCL campaigns. Like City over the weekend, they also conceded the opener, but battled back to secure a hard-earned 1-1 draw against title and city rivals Atlético Madrid which meant they stayed top of La Liga.[/p]
[p]They now quickly switch their focus back to the UCL, where they haven’t been knocked out at the first post-group/league phases knockout round since 2019/20. Ominously, it was Manchester City who dumped them out then courtesy of winning both legs 2-1, and a negative away record to English clubs (W9, D6, L11) suggests that more misery can’t be ruled out here, as does the fact their last three UCL eliminations were inflicted by English clubs, although that would still be a huge surprise considering City’s form overall this season. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has only scored more career goals against Watford (five) than he has Real Madrid (four), finding the net in the home leg two of the last three times these sides met in the knockouts. Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has a joint-career high four goals against City – two came last season and both arrived before the 15th minute! [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Manchester City haven’t conceded a UCL goal in the opening 30 minutes this season. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Chris Wilson[/i][/p]