The last two winners of the competition. Just that. First in Madrid, then in Manchester, the shock of these quarter-finals promises to spark. Especially if we remember the last clashes between the two clubs. In last year's semi-final, the supremacy of the Citizens, future winners, was not in doubt. If Carlo Ancelotti's men had held the match to a draw (1-1) in the first leg, they were no match for the return (4-0 defeat).
In 2022, already in the semi-final, Real came out this time after a double confrontation with an exceptional scenario. Defeated 4 goals to 3 in the first leg, the Madrilenians snatched extra time on the return thanks to a double from Rodrygo at the very end of the match. A penalty from a then untouchable Benzema completed qualification for the final against Liverpool.
Almost two years without defeat in C 1 for City
Since May 4, 2022, City has simply not lost a single Champions League match. On the victorious path of Guardiola's men in 2023, no defeat has come to upset them and this season, the Sky Blues first cruised through their group stage (six victories in as many matches) before qualifying quietly against Copenhagen in the round of 16.
For their third opposition in a row in C1, City seems to have taken a psychological advantage against Real who owe their qualification in the quarter to an excellent Lunin in the cages against Leipzig in the previous round. “It’s a difficult match ahead of us. But we are Real Madrid, we are confident,” assures Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger.
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“We are certainly superior to them in some aspects of the game and they are superior to us in others. We can talk about superiority after the 180 minutes between the two teams (…) The mental aspect will be very important. We have had time to prepare for this match and I am sure that we will play well,” adds his coach Carlo Ancelotti.