Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, February 19.
Real Madrid beat the Cityzens 3-2 in the first leg last week at the Etihad Stadium and will start as the favourites to qualify for the Round of 16.
Manchester City will be bolstered by their 4-0 win over Newcastle United last weekend that propelled them to the fourth position in the league table.
However, Real Madrid in the Champions League is always an entirely different proposition and it does not get more difficult than that.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid: A Modern-Day Derby
The Cityzens have either knocked Real Madrid out or have gotten knocked out by the latter quite often in recent Champions League history.
In all three of their previous encounters, the winner of the tie has gone on to win the competition.
History suggests that one of these teams will be lifting the trophy at the Allianz Arena.
Real Madrid have now won the Champions League title a mind-boggling 15 times and have often exhibited the ability to come back from behind to win matches in the competition.
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Tactical Shifts
Therefore, Pep Guardiola will have to be very judicious in selecting his starting XI on Wednesday.
Omar Marmoush, the hat-trick hero against Newcastle, has staked the claim to be in the playing XI already.
However, in order to accommodate the Egyptian, Guardiola will have to play him alongside the redoubtable Kevin de Bruyne as a central attacking midfielder in a 3-2-4-1 formation.
That might also mean that Bernardo Silva will have to play as a holding midfielder alongside Nico Gonzalez, who showed enough authority in the match against Newcastle last Saturday.
To take on the Real Madrid midfield manned by Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham, City will need a strong core in their midfield.
The reigning Premier League champions will also need to strengthen the right side of their defence against Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
As a result, one might see John Stones playing as the right-sided centre-back for the Cityzens, with Ruben Dias in the middle and Nathan Ake as the left-sided centre-back.
Josko Gvardiol, who could start as a left-back in a 4-2-3-1, should be overlapping a lot to make the Cityzens’ formation a 3-2-4-1, just as he did against Newcastle.
Gvardiol’s overlaps down the left flank should give Marmoush the freedom and opportunity to move inside and attack through the inside-left channel.
He enjoys taking shots from the edge of the opposition penalty box, which should be a potent weapon for his team.
Antonio Rudiger, the Real Madrid centre-back, who missed the first leg owing to an injury, should enjoy a titanic battle with Erling Haaland.
De Bruyne’s ability to find Haaland with his through passes and crosses should come as a key feature in Manchester City’s attack.
The Premier League title is all but gone for Guardiola’s men this season. It is a chance for them to make amends by winning the Champions League title.
Beating Real Madrid – last season’s UCL winners – and qualifying for the Round of 16 will be the first stepping stone for that.
It remains to be seen whether City are able to tame the lion in its den on Wednesday, February 19.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Crystal Pix
Recording Date: 11.02.2025