Manchester City and Real Madrid have to struggle in the intermediate round of the Champions League before the giant duel – especially with themselves.
If Manchester City and Real Madrid in the Champions League Completion, then usually deliver a spectacle. The quarter-final first leg in Madrid, for example, ended 3: 3 last year, in the second leg Real prevailed after a 1-1 only in the penalty shootout at City.
In previous years, the two European heavyweights crossed the blades in the semi -finals. In 2023 they pulled “Skyblues” from Manchester to the final, the “royal” from Madrid prevailed in 2022. A whopping 25 goals scored in these six games.
Manchester City against Real Madrid – this pairing lets football fans snap their tongue and the clubs are also looking forward to direct duels.
April 2024: Real Madrid cheers in the Champions League game against Manchester City
Duel already in the intermediate round
It’s different this year. Instead of anticipation, fear plays along. Because when both clubs meet again in Manchester on Tuesday (9 p.m. in the live ticker at the sports show), it is not about moving into the final, but for both of them to avoid a sporty disaster.
Because the giant duel is part of the intermediate round and it is about moving into the round of 16. In the Reformed Champions League, Real had only landed in eleven after eight match days, City got it worse in 22nd place.
City in particular must deliver
The English in particular are under pressure. The success -spoiled team of coach Pep Guardiola is in the home Premier League Only fifth and is a whopping 15 points behind the frontrunner FC Liverpool.
During the winter break alone, City spent 243 million euros for new players. Among other things, Nico Gonzalez (60 million euros from FC Porto), Omar Marmoush (75 million euros from Eintracht Frankfurt), Abdukodir Khusanov came (40 million euros from RC Lens) and vitor rice (37 million euros from Palmeiras).
Expensive newcomer: Omar Marmoush
The yield is a long time coming. So the team tortured itself at the weekend FA Cup To a short 2-1 at the third division club Leyton Orient.
Real with Defense problems
Real has his own probe. So coach Carlo Ancelotti has to do without five defenders in the first leg in Manchester. In addition to Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger, Lucas Vazquez is now also out, so Real has no right -back anymore. Young player Lorenzo Aguado is now moving into the squad, who was only on the pitch for 67 minutes this season.
“Royal” problems against top teams
Early failure would also be a tragedy for Real. The “royal” are not only defending champions, but also record winners in the Champions League. And it didn’t fit against the big ones in the industry this season. Against FC Barcelona it set two violent Clásico bankruptcy, also against Liverpool FC and AC Milan lost the Madrilenen.
What gives both teams hope: The respective winners of the three youngest duels – two in the semi -finals, one in the quarter -finals – in the end secured the title.