Prediction and odds for the game: Manchester City (9/20) vs Real Madrid (11/2)
We are backing draw/Manchester City at odds of 7/2
When: Tuesday 26 April 2022, Kick-off 20:00
Where: The Etihad Stadium
On Tuesday night, Manchester City and Real Madrid meet at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
Manchester City
The Citizens head into this clash looking to build on back-to-back victories over Brighton and Watford, scoring at least three goals in each of the wins. The double victory came on the back of a 3-2 defeat against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final. The loss was their only defeat in 13 matches in all competitions. The Citizens boss Pep Guardiola fielded a weakened starting line-up for the game against their title rivals.
Manchester City has lost just one of their last eight games when it comes to the Champions League. The Citizens are currently unbeaten in their last four games in Europe’s elite competition. A key factor in that recent good run of results is that they haven’t conceded a goal in their last four European outings.
City’s home form has also been excellent, as they are unbeaten in ten matches, having recorded nine wins in the process. A 1-0 win over Real Madrid’s city rivals Atletico Madrid at the Etihad Stadium was enough to see City through to the semi-finals of the competition.
Real Madrid
The Spanish giants are enjoying an excellent season after the return of Carlo Ancelotti to the team’s dugout. Los Blancos look set to claim the Spanish title this season after moving 15 points clear at the top of La Liga, with just five games remaining.
A 3-1 weekend win at Osasuna means that the team from the Spanish capital has now won five of their last six matches in all competitions. The victory also saw Ancelotti’s team score at least two goals for a sixth straight competitive match.
Real Madrid are of course the most successful club in the history of the European Cup, winning the trophy on 13 occasions. However, the team from the Spanish capital exited this competition at this stage last season, against another English team in the shape of Chelsea, who went on to lift the trophy.
However, they overcame the Blues in the quarter-finals of this season’s competition by recording a 5-4 victory in extra time. Los Blancos have won six of their last games in the Champions League. Manchester City could offer a far tougher challenge than previous opponents though.
Conclusion
This is the tougher of the Champions League semi-finals to predict, as two of European football’s heavyweights collide. We are tempted by the draw, but we believe that City may have just enough to come out on top in this clash.
Instead of just backing the home win, though, we are backing draw/City, as we believe the first half will be relatively tight. Backing over 2.5 goals scored also seems a sensible bet considering the potency in both teams’ frontlines.
Our Tips: we are backing draw/Manchester City at odds of 7/2 and/or over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 4/6. (All odds are taken from Bet365).
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Which team will gain a vital first-leg advantage at the Etihad Stadium?
