Real Madrid vs Manchester City prediction, odds and preview

Tuesday night, as Real Madrid welcomes Manchester City to the Spanish capital for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, the bright lights of the Bernabeu glow down on another enthralling match.

The defending champions defeated Chelsea in their quarterfinal over two legs with four unanswered goals to advance, while Pep Guardiola’s steadfast contenders defeated Bayern Munich 4-1 on the road.

In a tense Copa del Rey final on Saturday night, up-and-coming Rodrygo, who scored twice to help Real Madrid defeat Chelsea 2-0 in the second leg of their European quarterfinal, continued to show why he has been Real Madrid’s go-to scorer this season.

Real Madrid has only failed to reach the final in one of the previous five seasons where they have advanced to the semis – losing to eventual champions Chelsea in 2020-21. With the top-flight title almost a formality, Real Madrid will unequivocally prioritize a 15th top-level European crown in what remains of a turbulent season.

Few people contest Los Blancos’ dominance in Europe. Ancelotti’s team comes into the opening leg with a five-game winning streak in the Champions League, three clean sheets in a row, and 16 straight games with goals on the continent since a 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in February 2022.

As Eder Militao gets ready to watch from the naughty step, Torro’s goal for Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday did extend Real Madrid’s overall run without a clean sheet to four games, but any domestic worries are typically left at the door when Los Blancos walk out to the Champions League anthem.

A fantastic treble remains a real possibility for Man City, who made Thomas Tuchel’s return to England uncomfortable with a 3-0 quarterfinal first-leg triumph over Bayern before picking up a satisfying 1-1 draw in Munich. This is in addition to their thoughts on the FA Cup final.

The only match the Citizens have lost in their last 16 across all competitions was the draw in Germany, but Guardiola is in danger of surpassing Jose Mourinho’s current record of six Champions League semi-final exits as a manager by breaking his own record of seven.

The most recent of those eliminations from the final four occurred at the hands of Real Madrid in 2017 when City won a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at the Etihad before dropping a 3-1 decision in extra time at the Bernabeu. Fans and unaffiliated parties alike are set for a treat if last year’s event is any indication.