It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the UEFA Champions League's quarter-final stage will host a clash bigger than the competition's actual final on Tuesday. Real Madrid, 14-time European champions, takes on the defending champions Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. This is the fourth consecutive time the Spanish powerhouse is meeting the reigning English champions in the UCL knockouts. The last time the two faced off, Madrid walked into an ambush, losing 4-0 in the second leg away. Similar to this year, in 2023, the Bernabeu hosted City in the first leg. The hosts settled for a 1-1 draw before suffering a forgetful defeat.
Both Madrid and City are in top form heading into the UCL QF. Los Blancos are unbeaten for thirteen consecutive games across competitions. However, their UCL Round of 16 games against RB Leipzig were not up to par, as they registered a narrow 2-1 aggregate win. City is on a two-game winning streak in the English Premier League. In the UCL Round of 16, Pep Guardiola's men put up a decent performance, ousting Copenhagen with a 6-2 aggregate scoreline.
Furthermore, the match will see former teammates Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham lock horns for the third time in the UCL. Their first meeting resulted in a goalless draw. But the next time, Haaland's City outclassed Bellingham's Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in 2022. Now that the UCL QF is bringing together these current heavyweights, Bellingham should be looking to settle a score!
Real Madrid vs Manchester City: Injuries and Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid Injuries
Carlo Ancelotti's side has star defender David Alaba on their injury list. Alaba tore his cruciate ligament last December and is expected to return only in July. Besides, trusted goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will also miss Madrid's City game due to a meniscus tear. Madrid's previously injured midfielder Dani Ceballos trained with his teammates last week.
Real Madrid Predicted Starting XI
(4-3-1-2) Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Nacho Hernandez, Ferland Mendy; Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Toni Kroos; Jude Bellingham; Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo Goes
Manchester City Injuries
Man City's ace defender Josko Gvardiol was substituted during the recent PL tie against Crystal Palace after experiencing physical pain. It is uncertain if he will feature against Madrid. Besides, City captain Kyle Walker is also expected to miss out on the headline UCL tie due to a leg muscle injury. City's Nathan Ake is also nursing a calf injury he sustained during the Arsenal game. He will miss the game against Ancelotti and Co. Meanwhile, reports suggest that City goalkeeper Ederson has recovered from his injury and will start on Tuesday.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City: Head-to-Head
Real Madrid and Manchester City have faced each other 10 times in the UEFA Champions League. Madrid has won three times and drawn three times in those meetings. Man City has the upper hand with four wins against the 14-time champions.
Madrid vs City: Prediction
We would undoubtedly witness a tightly fought match at the Bernabeu. However, considering that City has a larger injury list and Madrid is on a three-game winning streak with 10 goals, we expect the latter to fare better. We predict Real Madrid to win 2-1 against City.
