Manchester City – Real Madrid

Manchester City and Real Madrid to find out who is strongest in a high-scoring match

Manchester City play at home against Real Madrid on Wednesday 17 May. The first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw. Madrid deserve compliments for playing on home soil. Carlo Ancelotti's side did not look any weaker. It was an even match, although initially the Citizens were the clear favorites. Real showed their ability to come together in key games. Vinicius remains Madrid's main star this season. The Brazilian eclipsed Benzema, but the Frenchman has clearly not yet had his last word in this Champions League. Real had a definite advantage in the calendar over the English side. Firstly, Ancelotti's team had one more day of rest. Real played on Saturday, while Manchester City had to take to the pitch on Tuesday. Secondly, the Citizens did not have the opportunity to field a second line-up against Everton as Real did. Manchester City easily beat a difficult opponent and almost secured the title. At the same time, Guardiola engaged his core players. Ancelotti gave his veterans and main stars a rest. The clash with Getafe was a warm-up game that also lifted the spirits of the team. Real Madrid got the better of the outsider with a long-range strike from Marco Asensio. Thus, Ancelotti solved several problems. He did not overload the key players, rested the veterans and boosted morale. Real go to England confident in their own abilities. Manchester City have had only three days to rest. That is an important factor for an evenly matched encounter. Another issue is that Real have suffered a frustrating injury to Kamawinga. The Frenchman has become a key player on the defensive flank. His participation in Manchester City is now questionable. Otherwise, the squads will be close to optimum. The tie in the first leg leaves room for manoeuvre for the two clubs. At the same time, it is problematic to imagine a cautious match. Real Madrid can punish the English, who will go on the attack from the start. Vinicius has shown he is unstoppable, even with the help of Kyle Walker, who is one of the fastest defenders in the world. Fears that Real's veterans would not be able to keep up the tempo were also not borne out. Erling Holand also managed to close down. The Norwegian will have special motivation for the battle against Real. In the past, the Norwegian has shown his best qualities in the home games of the Champions League play-offs. A high-scoring encounter is on the horizon. Real have already produced a seven-goal game against Liverpool in this play-offs. Manchester City scored seven against Leipzig and thundered against Bayern. It is likely that the coaches will be no different in one of the main games of the season.