Real Madrid vs Manchester City. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

Real Madrid CF will host Manchester City FC in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The fixture will take place on Wednesday, April 10, beginning at 00:30 IST.

Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Real Madrid News & Current Form: 

The Spanish and the English collided in the playoffs of the premier European tournament for the fourth time in the last five years, marking a fixture that is gradually evolving into a classic encounter. Real have emerged victorious twice in recent years, clinching the title on both occasions, while the Citizens have triumphed twice as well, notably seizing the cup in the previous season.

Real Madrid appear to be an impregnable fortress for many European teams, yet not for Manchester City: just a year ago, the Citizens dismantled the Spaniards in the Champions League semi-finals (1:1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, 4:0 in the return leg at the Etihad Stadium).

It is noteworthy that the Galacticos had nearly a week and a half to prepare for the quarterfinals, owing to the rescheduling of La Liga fixtures due to the Copa del Rey final, affording Ancelotti’s men some additional downtime. This timing seems opportune, considering the strength of their forthcoming opponent, who incidentally played two matches last week.

Nevertheless, Toni Kroos doesn’t perceive this elongated period as a significant advantage for Real Madrid, as the team is accustomed to playing week in and week out.

In the group stage earlier this fall, the Spaniards comfortably secured the top spot in their quartet, besting SSC Napoli, SC Braga, and FC Union Berlin, while in the round of 16, they faced a tougher challenge against RB Leipzig. Following a 1:0 victory away, the Whites were on the brink of extra time at home, ultimately settling for a 1:1 draw.

Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin emerged as a crucial figure in rescuing the team from losing, showcasing his prowess with an impressive tally of 12 saves across two matches against the Red Bulls. The Ukrainian has seamlessly assumed the role of the Galacticos’ primary goalkeeper in the absence of the injured Thibaut Courtois, reinforcing his aspirations to become the number-one choice.

What’s worth noting is that the wards of Carlo Ancelotti have an undefeated record at the Santiago Bernabeu this season, underscoring their formidable home advantage. Moreover, in the last 11 Champions League quarter-finals, the hosts have consistently asserted their dominance.

Beyond the high-stakes European contest, Real Madrid currently are at the top of the Primera division standings, boasting an eight-point lead over second-placed FC Barcelona.

Goalkeeper of Real Madrid Andriy Lunin, who proved his worth in the absence of Thibaut Courtois

In their latest league fixture, Madrid dispatched Athletic Bilbao with a commanding 2:0 victory, extending their unbeaten streak to 24 matches. Before this triumph, they secured convincing wins against RC Celta (4:0) and CA Osasuna (4:2).

Their solitary defeat in the league dates back to September 24, incurred in a derby clash against Atletico de Madrid (1:3). Remarkably, the Blancos not only possess the league’s most resilient defense, conceding a mere 20 goals in 30 rounds but also flaunt the most prolific attack, having netted an impressive 66 goals.

The main figure in the team’s attack is Jude Bellingham, who has set several club records and was also nominated for the Golden Boy award. The midfielder has scored 16 goals and shares the leadership in the league’s top scorers with Ante Budimir from Osasuna and Artem Dovbyk from Girona FC. 

In addition, the Englishman shone not only in the Primera but also in the Champions League – made 4+4 in six games and is the best striker and assistant of the Blancos in the Cup. He is followed by Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, both with 3+2. Brazilians, by the way, stand out for their effectiveness in La Liga – Vini has 12 shots, Goes has 10.

Thibaut Courtois got a relapse of his injury during the March break for the national team game and is out of action until the end of the season, in addition, the Austrian centre-back David Alaba also continues to recover in the infirmary. Recently, Eder Militao returned after a long injury, but it is unlikely to expect the Brazilian immediately in the lineup for this game.

It is important to note that Real Madrid have 4 players who will miss the return match in Manchester if they get a yellow card in the first game – they are Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouameni, while City have only one such player – Ruben Dias. 

Don`t miss out 👉: NorthEast United boosts playoff hopes with a 2-0 win against Kerala Blasters

Manchester City News & Current Form: 

Manchester City reached the 1/8 finals thanks to winning the group where RB Leipzig, BSC Young Boys and FC Crvena Zvezda also played. In the 1/8 finals, the team quite easily passed FC Copenhagen: after winning 3:1 on the road, they outplayed the opponent at home with a similar result.

The team of Pep Guardiola is now concerned about the battle for the championship in England, where every year the competition in the league is becoming more serious: if last year the fight for the title were only between Arsenal FC and City, now the duo is amended by Liverpool FC.

In addition, a year ago in March, it was already clear that the Citizens would not miss the title, but now they are only third, albeit with a one-point gap before the break for the national team matches. 

Phil Foden has notched up an impressive tally of three hat-tricks, with two of these achieved in the year 2024 alone

Since the beginning of December, the Blues have not lost in all competitions and have picked up great momentum in the spring: last week they defeated Aston Villa FC (4:1) and then beat Crystal Palace FC (2:4) last weekend. It’s worth noting that the Citizens failed to win against direct title rivals, with two draws against the Reds and the Gunners – 1:1 and 0:0 respectively.

The inflated standards that were set for Pep Guardiola’s team after last year’s treble really hamper the current assessment of the strength of the Citizens. They are definitely not at their best, especially the reliability in defense, which has been woefully lacking lately.

In addition to the problems in defence, the decline in the form of Erling Haaland is also striking, although he scored in the last match against Palace, he failed to inspire any confidence that he is ready to face the royal club. On the other hand, Kevin De Bruyne did. It seems that the Belgian midfielder is ready for big things like no other. 

While the 20-year-old Bellingham was accomplishing feats in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu, another young Briton – 23-year-old Phil Foden – has blossomed at Man City. In seven games in the UCL, he made 4+3, and on April 3 he scored a treble for Aston Villa, on February 5 he helped the Citizens beat Brentford FC (3:1). 

For the first time Phil scored three times in 90 minutes in October 2022 against Manchester United FC (6:3). As a result, the player caught up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in terms of hat-tricks in the EPL. Pep values Foden incredibly highly and even stated that due to his statistics, stability and level of play, the winger should be a contender for the prize for the best player of the season in the Premier League. 

On Wednesday, the Mancunians will be without right-back Kyle Walker (he returned from an England national team injury), while Ederson and Nathan Ake should recover in time for the game at the Bernabeu. De Bruyne, who was absent for the first half of the season, has regained his former condition and is ready to assist Haaland (26 goals, 6 assists). 

“We will face a different Real Madrid, they play differently, and every season is different. We come here with one of the best versions of ourselves this season. I think we will always face the favorites of this competition at some stage. We know each other quite well in the last few years. We expect such a tough game tomorrow”, said the midfielder of Citizens Rodri.

Real Madrid form guide: W-D-D-W-W-W

Manchester City form guide: W-D-W-D-W-W

Real Madrid vs Manchester City Head-To-Head Record:

• May 4, 2022: Real Madrid 3 – 1 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League);
• May 9, 2023: Real Madrid 1 – 1 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League);
• May 17, 2023: Manchester City 4 – 0 Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League).

Real Madrid vs Manchester City Predicted XI:

Real Madrid’s possible starting lineup (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Kroos; Bellingham; Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo.

Manchester City’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Akanji; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Doku, Haaland, Foden.

Statistical preview of the match Real Madrid vs Manchester City:

• Real Madrid’s First XI average age is 27.6 years, and City’s First XI average age is 26.9 years.
• The total value of Madrid’s squad is 1.04 bln euros, while the total of the English club comes up to 1.27 bln euros.
• François Letexier has been appointed as the centre referee. The referee has already served twenty six games this season, showing an average of 4 yellow cards and also whistles 22 fouls per game. 
• Real Madrid holds the record for the most Champions League titles – 14. Carlo Ancelotti has won the Champions League 4 times with his teams.
• Madrid is the one team that managed to win the trophy 3 times in a row from 2016 to 2018.
• Only Real Madrid and Manchester City have won all 6 matches in the group stage this season.
• City managed to win a treble last season, as it won the Premier League, the FA Cup and Champions League.
• The top scorer of the current tournament in the team is Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, he has 6 goals on his account. Phil Foden is the leader among assistants, he has 4 assists.
• In all 8 of Manchester City’s matches in the Champions League, at least 3 goals were scored, and the total average total was 4.13 goals. 
• Within the Champions League, Real Madrid has an xG of 2.16, while Manchester City has it at 2.67 xG per game. 
• Within the Champions League Real Madrid control the ball 57% of the total playing time, while guests have this indicator at the level of 71.36% – the highest among all teams of the draw. 
• The average number of shots on goal during the games involving these teams is 10.5 and 11.3 respectively. 
• Madrid players receive 1.7 yellow cards per game in the UCL, while the Citizens earn only 0.63 yellow cards in the current campaign. 

What has been said before the match:

Carlo Ancelotti, gaffer of Real Madrid, emphasizes the significance of mental strength, courage, and technical prowess ahead of tomorrow’s game:

“The important thing in tomorrow’s game is to get the best we can. The mental aspect is very important, as well as the courage and personality we have to show on the pitch.”

“We’ve had time to prepare and we’ve done very well. I’m confident we’re going to give our best tomorrow in every way, mentally, physically and technically. We have enough quality to compete.”

“It’s a very appealing match. Two teams that are not alike are facing each other, as each has their own characteristics, but they are teams with a lot of individual quality on the pitch. Technically speaking, it’s going to be a very nice game.”

“The first leg is very important, because we’ve got the chance to play in our stadium and we should look to make the most of the small advantage we have.”

The manager of Manchester City Pep Guardiola emphasises the importance of consistent performance and continual improvement as fundamental principles for achieving success in football:

“Firstly, as a club, there was a palpable sense of relief. While we’ve achieved many positive things, the constant pressure in press conferences was always about the Champions League.”

“We’ve been flying in Europe for just over a decade now. Before that, we weren’t even in contention. Now, we face the best teams in the world, but a decade is not enough time to establish dominance. Even now, competing again provides invaluable experience for the future of our club.”

“Some people say, ‘Once we’ve won it, it’s done.’ No, absolutely not. We’re not like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, or Inter Milan—clubs with decades of experience in this competition. In terms of history, we’re relatively new. But winning it once gives us confidence that we can do it again.”

Real Madrid vs Manchester City Prediction:

Real Madrid are enjoying a superb run of form, firmly rooted at the top of La Liga. This season at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Los Blancos have scored 2.6 goals per game and conceded just 0.7, making them unbeaten with 18 wins and 3 draws in all competitions. With an optimal squad at his disposal, Carlo Ancelotti has had nine days to prepare his men with all the necessary focus and thoroughness to take on Manchester City. Motivation and attitude in this important match will be at an extremely high level, as Madrid have won only one of their last six games against Manchester City with four defeats. Now Luka Modric and his teammates have a great opportunity to get revenge and secure a comfortable handicap before the return leg, capitalising on their all-smashing momentum and taking advantage of the opponent’s fatigue. Los Blancos are particularly good in knockout matches and, more importantly, the “magic” of the home arena is undiminished.

Manchester City have a reasonably busy schedule, with their sights set on three trophies at a time. The title race in the English Premier League is a particularly intense front, where there is simply no room for slip-ups, and this weekend’s match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park can hardly be called an easy outing: to get three points, the main squad was utilised and a lot of effort was expended. At the same time, unlike their vis-a-vis, Pep Guardiola and his boys had only 2 full days to recover and prepare for the most difficult trip to Spain. 

The good thing is that over the distance of the season, away matches have not posed much difficulty for the Sky Blues, as they have 16 wins with 4 defeats and 1 draw in all competitions so far. The average performance of the Mancunians on this distance: 2.3 scored, with 1.2 conceded. The last time the Citizens lost on the road was on 6 December, they now boast an 11-match unbeaten streak (10 wins and 1 draw). Still, the major concern comes from the team’s defensive line, which has seen a clean sheet only 4 times when playing away. There are enough resources to contain on-fire Jude Bellingham, but the biggest headache for Guardiola in this match will be the fast and technical Brazilians on the flanks, as two important defenders, Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake, are unavailable for the game. Besides, another key defender, Josko Gvardiol, even if he will be ready for the match, is not likely to give his optimal performance. Add to that Man City’s poor statistics in games against England’s top-5 teams, all of them have managed to take snatch points from the Citizens.

Both teams are jam-packed with star players in the attacking group, their power and shifting towards offence prevail over their reliability in defence, and there is every reason to expect a goal-rich match. The sides have often produced lively head-to-head matches in the past, with a total of 23 goals scored (3.83 per game on average) in the previous six encounters. Over the longer distance, the opponents have exchanged goals in nine of their 12 Champions League matches, with eight of those matches seeing at least three goals scored. The Spaniards have three clean sheets in UCL 2023/24, while the English have just one. At the same time, Manchester City in this Champions League campaign became the first team in history to notch three or more goals in eight consecutive meetings of the tournament. All this gives us ample reason to expect a vibrant fight on Tuesday night, where the titans of European football will emphasise attack and deliver an action-packed showdown. 

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Real Madrid will not lose, both teams will score and the match total will be over 2.5 – Yes.

Don`t miss out 👉: East Bengal crushes Bengaluru’s playoff chances with a 2-1 win