Real Madrid against Man City highlight Champions League draw
The match between Manchester City against Real Madrid is the marquis game in the Champions League round of 16.
The matches for the first round of the knockout stage of the Champions League have been confirmed with one match standing above the rest.
That match will see Real Madrid face off against Manchester City in what should be an entertaining match.
On one side there is Real Madrid, the 13-time European Cup winner, and on the other there is Manchester City who have yet to make a name for themselves despite being managed by Pep Guardiola and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent since his arrival.
Based on their current form, it would be premature to say that the eventual Champions League winner will come out of this tie. But it could very well be what jump starts either of these teams.
Real Madrid have not had the best start since Zinedine Zidane’s arrival. They’ve struggled in the league, although they seem to be turning a corner. They finished second in their group which is why they wound up drawn with City in the first place.
Zidane has had issues with his players, most notable Gareth Bale. Bale has been public enemy number one in Madrid despite playing well when called upon. However, this is Real Madrid and they do tend to get a result in this tournament even if they don’t play particularly well.
As for Manchester City, the Champions League is a tournament in which they’ve yet to establish themselves as a legitimate contender. Pep Guardiola has not had a good run of it since leaving Barcelona. He failed to win while at Bayern and has suffered stunning defeats against Tottenham and Liverpool the last two seasons.
Because of recent history, it is not out of the realm of sanity to make Real Madrid the slight favorites in this tie.
As mentioned, they do tend to step it up on European nights. One way or another they always seem to pull a rabbit out of a hat when they need it the most.
The last two times these teams met was back in the 2016 semifinals where Real Madrid got through 1-0 on aggregate. Mauricio Pellegrini was City manager back then and Joe Hart was still in goal. In fact, the majority of the players on both sides have since moved on.
City made Real Madrid work for it but offered little going forward themselves. Madrid would go on to the final and beat Atletico Madrid.
The last time Guardiola faced Real Madrid was when he was managing Bayern Munich in 2014. Bayern lost the first leg, 1-0, and then were crushed 4-0 at home. For as good a manager and squad he’s had, Pep’s record at the biggest tournament in Europe leaves much to be desired.
dark. Next. Mikel Arteta emerges as frontrunner for Arsenal job
With both teams being more vulnerable than in the recent past, expect this tie to be open with the possibility of many goals being scored. Again, as it stands, the slight nod has to go to Real Madrid.