Real Madrid vs Manchester City in UEFA Champions League semis

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

On May 10th at 3:00 AM (GMT+8), the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals will feature a highly-anticipated match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid, fresh off their victory in the Copa del Rey last weekend, will look to continue their winning form. Meanwhile, Manchester City have won 10 straight Premier League matches and have reached the final of the FA Cup. With a chance to make history and win their first Champions League trophy, the Cityzens have not lost a match in three months.

It will be a clash of titans as Real Madrid, a team with five titles in nine years, face Manchester City, who have never lifted the coveted “Big Ears” trophy despite a decade-long pursuit. What sparks will fly when these two giants meet?

Last weekend, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey final against surprise finalist Osasuna with a 2-1 victory, courtesy of a brace from Rodrigo. The match was held at a neutral venue in Seville, and Real Madrid secured their 20th Copa del Rey trophy, ending a nine-year drought in the competition. Vinicius was recently named Real Madrid’s best player for the month of April. With no chance of winning the La Liga title, Real Madrid rested several key players in their away match against Real Sociedad, clearly saving their energy for the Copa del Rey final and the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

Real Madrid’s morale is high after winning the Copa del Rey

As a cup competition expert, Ancelotti is well aware that while Real Madrid have won their last five Champions League matches and kept three clean sheets in their last three matches, they will still need to be vigilant against the likes of the goal-scoring machine Haaland and the assist king De Bruyne. Since their 0-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in February 2022, Real Madrid have scored in all 16 Champions League matches they have played, and they are in excellent form after winning the Copa del Rey.

The whole team is playing with composure and confidence. It is worth mentioning that Vinicius has already recorded six assists in this season’s Champions League, ranking first on the assist leaderboard. On the other hand, Manchester City’s midfield maestro De Bruyne has completed four assists in the Champions League so far. This match will not only be a battle of goalscorers between Benzema and Haaland, but also a true showdown between the two assist masters.

In the previous round of the Premier League, Manchester City defeated Leeds United 2-1, securing their 10th consecutive league win and taking a one-point lead over Arsenal with a game in hand, regaining control of the title race. Manchester City have also reached the final of the FA Cup this season and have eliminated RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting up a semi-final clash with Real Madrid, who knocked them out of the competition in the previous edition.

If Guardiola wants to help Manchester City win their first-ever Champions League title, they must overcome Real Madrid, a team with five Champions League trophies in the last nine years. Manchester City’s lack of experience under immense pressure in recent Champions League campaigns has proved costly, as demonstrated in their defeat to Chelsea in the 2021 final and their elimination by Real Madrid in the 2022 semi-finals.

Haaland: Manchester City’s Champions League Ace

Currently, Manchester City’s 10-game winning streak in the Premier League gives them more energy and determination to face the challenge of Real Madrid, especially as they have taken the lead in the title race. Additionally, compared to last season’s Champions League semi-final, where Manchester City played the second leg at home, this year they will play the second leg away, which is a favorable situation.

Manchester City undoubtedly have more confidence in themselves. It is worth noting that in their last match against Leeds United, Haaland gave up a penalty kick to Gundogan, who had the chance to complete a hat-trick, but ultimately missed the penalty, putting Manchester City in a difficult situation in the latter stages of the match. Guardiola’s impatience also seemed to affect the team, indicating that Manchester City still have some areas for improvement in terms of maturity and game management.

Currently, BA88 Sports has offered the following odds for the match: Real Madrid to win at 2.91, Manchester City to win away at 2.04, and a draw at 3.28. In terms of score odds, a 1-1 draw has the lowest odds at 7.00, followed by Manchester City winning 2-1 or 1-0 with odds of 7.50 and 8.50 respectively. On the Real Madrid side, the lowest odds for a win is 2-1 at 9.75, while a 0-0 or 2-2 draw has the same odds at 13.00.

Overall, BA88 the odds slightly favor Manchester City due to their recent form, but the odds for Manchester City to win away are slightly higher than the odds given in last year’s Champions League semi-final, where Manchester City were given odds of 1.90 to win. Therefore, it will not be easy for Manchester City to leave the Bernabeu with a victory in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.