PREVIEW: Manchester City host Real Madrid with comeback needed | OneFootball

Manchester City must overturn a three goal deficit this evening at the Etihad if they are to advance to the last eight of the Champions League. The Citizens are 3-0 down from the first leg in Madrid, with Federico Valverde netting a hat-trick at the Bernabéu.

This is the fifth consecutive season in which Los Blancos have travelled to Manchester, and they have advanced to the next round on the last two occasions. However, there is a reason to be hopeful for Manchester City fans, as their last win at home to the La Liga giants saw them thrash Real 4-0, a scoreline that would be enough to send them through this evening.

Real Madrid have previously travelled to the Etihad in the UCL on seven occasions, and only won once on the night, that being a 3-2 win last February which saw Jude Bellingham score an injury time winner. The England international will miss out this evening though, much like he did in the first leg, due to an ongoing hamstring injury. However, Madrid’s first-choice striker Kylian Mbappe looks set to make his return from injury for tonight’s game, but having not played since February 21st and with the tie already in Real Madrid’s favour, he likely will not be in the starting lineup.

Los Blancos boss Álvaro Arbeloa has spoken to the mida ahead of tonight’s clash and issued a statement of intent. “I want to see the same Real Madrid as in the first leg. We have no other objective than to go out and win, which is what this crest demands of us. With the same humility, commitment, and sacrifice we had in the first leg, even more because we know this stadium is not easy at all and their fans will support them a lot. We cannot go out with any mentality other than to win this game. Humility and ambition are what must be seen tomorrow.” Plenty of Real Madrid side’s have proven before that they have the mentality to go all the way in this compeition, with the club beig the most successful team in Champions League history having won the title a record 15 times, the most recent of those coming at Wembley in 2024 when they defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has also spoken ahead of this evening’s game and how his side plan to defy the odds and overturn the deficit. “The task is massive, to score more than three goals against Madrid. I’m not concerned about the chances we can create. We’re at home. It’s more about how we are going to defend.”

Despite the amount of times these side’s have met over the past half-decade, this clash always seems to deliver. The latest rendition of this growing rivalry will kick-off at the Etihad Stadium this evening at 8pm (UK time.)