- Manchester United hosts Real Madrid in the first leg of their semifinal matchup.
- The two sides met two years ago, also in the knockout stage.
- Both teams have played high-efficient events lately.
The central sporting event this Tuesday is the matchup between Manchester City and Real Madrid. This super game draws enormous attention, and we are here to make a preview of the same and deliver a few useful information regarding betting.
Stay tuned for five minutes and read our article.
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid Schedule
- Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- When: Tuesday, April 26, 3 pm ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, BT Sports
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid Odds
| City | Draw | Real |
|---|---|---|
| -205 | +480 | +550 |
City’s Big Night
Even though Pep Guardiola played numerous games like this one, this is a big night for Man City. They are once again pretty close to the trophy but have a major obstacle ahead of them. Real is the most successful club in the world.
The Citizens have improved the morale before this matchup, winning back-to-back games, both at home. Brighton was the first victim, 3-0, and Watford the next one, in a match that saw Guardiola’s crew winning 5-1.
Four of their last five games have been with three or more goals, and three of them ended with both teams netting. The Citizens haven’t lost at home in the previous six events, posting four wins and two draws.
Ancelotti’s Time
Yes, Karim Benzema is playing fantastic football, but Real’s results are a consequence of Carlo Ancelotti’s knowledge. The Italian manager is a difference-maker, with all due respect to Benzema, because he pretty much outsmarted each of his rivals up until this point.
Real’s record in the past 10 games is eight wins and two losses, and for the moment, their games are very interesting in terms of efficiency. Just one throughout this stretch saw under 2.5 scores, which hasn’t been the case in the past.
Also, five of the previous six were with goals on both ends of the field, meaning that the offense is the main reason for the latest successes.
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid Injuries and Suspensions
City will be without Joao Cancelo and Benjamin Mendy both due to suspensions. Cancelo’s absence will be a big hit for Guardiola. Things will be tougher if Josh Stones and Kyle Walker have to skip the game because they stand as questionable for now.
On the other side, Mariano Diaz, Eden Hazard, and Luka Jovic are all injured and out. Alaba and Casemiro are still being assessed before the final decision, which will be on the day of the game.
Head to Head Games
The last meeting was in 2020, during the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The Citizens were better on both occasions, and the result was the same, 2-1. In each game, the Citizens fell behind but managed to come back.
Prediction
The game will be defensive-minded with lots of tactical maneuvers. That is why we don’t believe in high efficiency here, and our pick would be under 2.5 goals. All the paths towards both goals will be closed and heavily guarded.
Pick: Under 2.5 goals
