- Manchester City and Real Madrid will renew their long-standing rivalry tonight in the Champions League playoff match.
- The English champions have faced the Spanish side in the last three seasons and Manchester City are favourites to win the first leg.
- Both teams are having a tough time this season, but their upcoming match is expected to be an exciting one, thanks to their impressive skill levels.
Manchester City are set to face Real Madrid in the opening match of the Champions League playoffs tonight.
The English Premier League champions have been required to compete in a two-match playoff series to secure a spot in the last 16 after a lackluster group stage performance.
Real Madrid, the current Champions League champions, are also experiencing an inconsistent season, but they still cannot be counted out.
2.
The 2023 winners, Manchester City, finished 22nd in the group stage, while Real Madrid ranked 11th.
Pep Guardiola's team won three, drew two, and lost three of their eight games. The La Liga powerhouse won five, with three matches ending in a draw.
They have faced each other in the Champions League over the past three seasons. Last year, Madrid won against Manchester City in a penalty shootout on their path to victory.
Opta's supercomputer has allocated a 42.7% probability to Manchester City winning the first leg, while Carlo Ancelotti's team has a 33% chance of emerging victorious.
3. "Pep Guardiola's tactical expertise and ability to adapt his team's strategy to the opponent's strengths and weaknesses will be crucial in this match. His experience and knowledge of the game will help Manchester City find an effective way to outmaneuver Real Madrid."
Real Madrid's defensive concerns
The Spanish giants' defense has been severely weakened by a string of injuries. Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Dani Carvajal are all set to miss the first leg of the showdown.
Raul Asencio, a 21-year-old center-back, will be the team's only natural defender at that position and will need to face the challenge of Erling Haaland. He will be paired with Aurelien Tchouameni in the central defensive position.
Pep Guardiola's Record Against Real Madrid
Guardiola has been a thorn in the side of Real Madrid supporters for years. His Barcelona team crushed Madrid 5-0 and 6-2 in La Liga, and knocked them out of the Champions League in 2011.
The legendary coach has faced Madrid 25 times, with 13 victories, six losses, and six draws. Under his management at Man City, he has achieved four wins and only one loss. Furthermore, he has consistently advanced to the round of 16 in each of his last 15 seasons.
Given Madrid's defensive struggles, Guardiola will view this as a chance to deliver another loss to his longtime adversary.
Mbappe and Vinicius struggles
Kylian Mbappe's initial season at Real Madrid got off to a slow start, but he has been doing significantly better lately. Nevertheless, his performance in the Champions League has not been impressive, with only three goals in the competition's eight group stage matches.
Vinicius Junior played a key role in last season's Champions League title win. This season, he has scored 7 goals in the competition, but he has not scored in 8 out of the last 10 games across all competitions, according to Transfermarkt. His form has been affected by injury and disciplinary problems.
Madrid need the Brazilian to be at his best in the two-legged tie.
Computer of exceptional power predicts winner of Champions League.
A supercomputer previously indicated that a winner of the 2025 Champions League would be announced.
Notably, Arsenal were assigned a 24.3% probability to win and 59 and 38.7% likelihoods to reach the semi-final and final, respectively. Liverpool are second favorites with a 18.9% probability to win.