At 3 a.m. Beijing time on April 18, the most eye-catching match of the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals will be played at the Etihad Stadium, where the defending champion Manchester City will face Real Madrid, the winner of the Champions League 14 times. In the first leg, the two sides staged a big battle at the Bernabeu, and the score of 3-3 was ups and downs, which made the fans fascinated.
In the second leg, both sides are expected to play with strong formations. On Manchester City's side, Walker, Akanji and others have all returned in time, especially Walker, who was pinned on by fans to prevent Vinicius, was on the bench in the league last weekend, and it was not a big problem to play against Real Madrid. De Bruyne, the core of the midfield who was absent due to gastroenteritis, can also play smoothly in this game.
Real Madrid is a little troublesome, the back of the old job is criticized, the central defender cameo but often highlights the Frenchman Tchouameni suspension, the main central defender Militão has just returned from a serious injury, has not yet adapted to the rhythm of the game, Ancelotti can only be forced to send captain Nacho. His left-half defensive system with Edouard Mendy and Kroos makes one wonder if it can withstand the onslaught of the likes of B, Foden and De Bruyne. Perhaps, Anshuai will put Camavinga in the left midfield position to assist in attacking and defending.
Real Madrid's whole team is worth 1.04 billion euros, Manchester City's whole team is worth 1.27 billion euros, and the matchup between these two teams, which are worth more than 2.3 billion euros, has been considered by many European media to surpass Real Madrid VS Bayern and become a new European derby. Whether it is Real Madrid's 3-4 away and 3-1 extra-time defeat of Manchester City at home in the 2021-2022 season, or Manchester City's 1-1 away and 4-0 home win over Real Madrid last season, the opponents happen to be stepping stones to the top of Europe.
In the 3-3 first leg, Carlo Ancelotti offered a new combination of attacking tactics, with Rodrygo becoming the "X-factor", and his excellent play on the left flank once left Guardiola helpless. Vinicius Jr. has also found his presence in the middle and on the right, with the only slight disappointment being Bellingham, a 180 million man who has been injured and suspended recently, and the 20-year-old, who has carried Manchester City's two major centre-backs Dias and John Stones in the forward position, seems to be far from his best form.
Carlo Ancelotti must have seen this too, and in the press conference before the second leg against Manchester City, Ancelotti brought Belin to attend, both to make the England superstar feel the atmosphere of home, and to motivate him to put in a brilliant performance in the second leg. After all, compared to last year's speechless four-goal defeat at the Etihad, Bellingham is Real Madrid's biggest reliance this year. Without the burden of accumulating suspensions due to avoiding yellow cards in the first leg, I believe that Belin, Pooh and others can exert their maximum energy away from home.
Manchester City is perhaps the strongest team on the planet at the moment, which is not only reflected in the starters such as Haaland, De Bruyne, B, Foden, Grealish and other starters, but also substitutes such as Doku can also show different performances on the field, making Guardiola, who has always been known for tactical adjustments, more capital to deal with any opponent calmly.
Last weekend's league fixtures saw Manchester City lead the league table by two points thanks to successive defeats for title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal. The "Blue Moon" players who have shown signs of defending their Champions League and Premier League titles will have their confidence at the peak of the season when the most important matchup of the season approaches.
And the performance of Haaland, another 180 million Mr. in the Manchester City team, will also become the winner and loser of this Champions League summit showdown, against the Norwegian superstar who has not scored a goal against Real Madrid, hoping to break the spell in the second leg of the Etihad game and find the "Demon Buu" who roared and ran on the field.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City, Bellingham vs Haaland, three consecutive years of duel, the competition between the Champions League king and the new Champions League hegemon, who is the number one club in football today?
Attached Real Madrid vs Manchester City match record:
2022-23 Champions League semifinals Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City
2021-22 Champions League semi-finals Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid
2019-20 Champions League 1/8 Finals Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City
2015-16 Champions League semi-finals Real Madrid 1-0 Manchester City Manchester City 0-0 Real Madrid
2012-13 Champions League group stage Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid Real Madrid 3-2 Manchester City