Real Madrid vs Manchester City Predictions

• Manchester City have won nine and drawn two of their last 11 games in all competitions
• Both teams have found the net in ten of the last 11 meetings between these two teams
• Four of Manchester City’s last five away matches have featured at least three goals

Los Blancos and Citizens lock horns again

Real Madrid and Manchester City meet again in what is now the third-most common fixture in the history of the Champions League, and before it the European Cup.

That is despite the fact that the Citizens only qualified once for Europe’s premier competition before 2011-12, demonstrating just how often these two teams have met in recent years.

In fact this is the fifth time in the last six seasons that the pair have met in the knockout stages of the Champions League, combined with a league phase meeting back in December.

Pep Guardiola’s men won that game 2-1 at the Bernabeu and they are favourites to repeat the trick with Los Blancos struggling as of late.

Injuries a big issue for hosts

Alvaro Arbeloa’s reign has been largely disappointing following Xabi Alonso’s departure and two losses from their last three La Liga matches have left them four points adrift of rivals Barcelona in the title race.

Arbeloa’s side are also without many of their key players through injury, with Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Dani Ceballos and David Alaba all expected to miss out.
They needed a 95th-minute winner to get the better of Celta Vigo on Friday and were not hugely convincing against Benfica in the knockout play-off round.

Manchester City have been in better nick, winning nine and drawing two of their last 11 games in all competitions, and they rested some key players in their 3-1 win over Newcastle in the FA Cup last time out.

Erling Haaland’s rest will be particularly crucial with the Norwegian having been slightly below his usual high standards since Christmas. The star striker has scored four times in his last 16 appearances, two of which were penalties.

With a rested Haaland and considering the fact that the Citizens had eight shots on target compared to Real’s one in the first game between these two, it looks worth siding with Guardiola’s team to come out on top in this first leg.

Citizens may be too good

Los Blancos are not the team that they were when they beat Manchester City en route to winning this competition two years ago and although they are the most successful side in the history of the Champions League, they have already lost three games in Europe this season.

Both teams to score has landed in ten of the last 11 meetings between these two teams and a repeat of that looks likely, side with a 3-1 win for the visitors.

Antoine Semenyo has seven goals in 11 games since moving to the Citizens and could extend that tally.