Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Editor

2 years ago

Manchester City’s quest to win a first UEFA Champions League meets a familiar foe who’s won it more than anyone in history, as Real Madrid hosts a semifinal first leg at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

The venue gives Man City the chance to expel the ghosts of last season, when a 4-3 first-leg lead turned into a 6-5 aggregate loss and semifinal exit at the hands of Los Merengues.

[ LIVE: Champions League scores ]

Real is coming off a Copa del Rey tournament win over Osasuna at the weekend, as Rodrygo scored twice to pilot the win.

City beat Leeds 2-1 on Saturday to extend its Premier League winning streak to 10 games. City hasn’t lost in any competition since a Feb. 5 setback against Tottenham.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Real Madrid vs Manchester City.

How to watch Real Madrid vs Manchester City live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 3pm ET, Tuesday (May 9)
Updates: Via scoreboard on NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+

Key storylines & star players

Real can burn a defense in any number of ways, but all eyes will be on how the club fares without suspended Eder Militao. The brave defender and terrific ball mover’s absence is a big one.

Man City, of course, will look to in-form Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, who are collecting goal contributions for fun in the Premier League and have terrific Champions League records. KDB has a goal and five assists in seven UCL matches this season, while Haaland has 12 goals and an assist in eight appearances.

Real Madrid vs Manchester City preview

Real Madrid

What can you say about Real Madrid in the Champions League? The competition’s most successful club, the reigning European champions, and a team brimming with experience at the very top of the game.

Madrid are looking to be crowned European champions for a 15th time this year but have suffered from inconsistent form in Spain this campaign. Madrid are currently third in La Liga; 14 points adrift of league leaders Barcelona and a point behind city rivals Atletico.

However, despite their struggles in the league, Los Blancos are still the team for the big occasion. On Saturday night they lifted the Copa del Rey with a 2-1 win over Osasuna and retain a mystique that can unsettle even the very best sides.

Most crucially, however, they have managed to rest their key players in recent weeks to ensure they are at full fitness for Tuesday. Luka Modric started on the bench in the Copa del Rey triumph, while the likes of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde were also rested for the previous game against Real Sociedad. All are expected to start against City.

Manchester City

Real Madrid are looking to bring home yet another Champions League trophy while Manchester City are still waiting for their first continental triumph. A 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the 2020/21 final is the closest that they have come so far, but they are now a more ruthless and physically imposing side.

The addition of Erling Haaland to Pep Guardiola’s creation has taken the team to a new level. He has been incredible in the Premier League, breaking the record for the most goals in a single season. However it is in Europe that his introduction could be most telling; he has scored 12 goals in eight Champions League matches for City.