The Etihad will host the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final game between current holders of the competition, Manchester City and the former holders before them and record winners, Real Madrid.
The first installment of this blockbuster tie ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw with goals from six different scorers confirming the fixture as the world’s most entertaining and biggest game in club football.
Coming into this second leg clash dubbed as the “final before the final”, Pep Guardiola’s Man City will be hoping they eliminate a Real team that many feel are the only team that could prevent them from lifting the trophy back-to-back and they are right to think so.
Man City’s Formidable Home Form at Etihad is Fearsome
Manchester City's incredible home form at the Etihad is well-known and documented and that is their biggest strength going into this huge encounter as the knowledge of their unbeaten run can strike fear into the hearts of opposition teams even if they're called Real Madrid.
Yes, Manchester City has a team made up of great players in every department and that in itself is great reason enough to panic because it is these players, led by their great manager that helps the team play the way they do. However, these same players have been beaten before and that would motivate any team.
That is why the story of the only place they have not been beaten, the Etihad, where they could equal a club-record 42-game unbeaten streak going back to 1921, is their greatest weapon at their disposal coming into this encounter.
Real Madrid, the Miraculous Killers of Defending Champions
While Carlo Ancelotti’s team, Real Madrid also have an unbeaten run to talk about going into this fixture, a 37-game unbeaten run in all competitions, that is not their biggest strength and the thing that makes them a danger for Man City, no.
Real Madrid's greatest strength is also a reputation, the one they are known for by all in the world of football and that is that the Los Blancos are a team of incredible miracles and unbelievable comebacks, what they call in Spanish, “remontadas”.
Concerning the said great ability of Real Madrid to pull off the craziest of results, is their fearful record of being the team that eliminates the defending champions of the UEFA Champions League.
Since 1998, Real Madrid has always eliminated the defending champions and gone on to lift the Champions League themselves and great teams like the 2014 Bayern team, and the 2021 Chelsea team to name a few have all been a victim of this Real Madrid superpower.
Match Stats
Man City have won 2 of their last 5 meetings against Real Madrid, losing 1 and drawing the other two. Both 2 wins have been at home at the Etihad with City unbeaten versus Madrid.
There have been over 2.5 goals in 7 of the last 8 games between Man City and Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League with all 4 of them at the Etihad seeing over 2.5 goals.
Jude Bellingham has created the 2nd most assists (4) and big chances (6) in the UEFA Champions League this season while Foden has the 2nd most goal contributions in the competitions (8).
You can check out the Man City vs Real Madrid UCL quarter final 2nd leg game here on MSport.
