It was the final announced, but what football fan will complain about repeating it for 90, or even 120 minutes of City - Real this evening (9 p.m., Canal +, RMC Sport 1), a week after the 3-3 draw 3 madness at the Bernabeu.
Between City, reigning champion, and Real, 2022 winners, the big poster of the Champions League quarter-finals has already delighted the fans beyond their expectations in the first leg.
The craziest thing is that it is somewhere about the beauty of the beauties. The Citizens meet the Merengues for the third season in a row in a decisive Champions League match. The Spaniards won the battle in 2022, but lost it in 2023, suffering a severe 4-0 in the semi-final second leg at the Etihad.
And the best part of all this is that nothing is done between the two greats of Europe, when it comes time to set foot on the pitch at the Etihad stadium.
In Manchester, don't impose yourself on anyone who wants. Guardiola's armada has not lost at home since November 2022, in all competitions, and since September 2018 in the Champions League - a 2-1 setback against... Olympique Lyonnais.
This Wednesday, the Skyblues could extend their unbeaten streak at home to 42 and equal the club record established more than a century ago, between December 1919 and November 1921…
What a treat in perspective, between two teams that are completely opposed and which complement each other quite well: the Gulf (City is majority owned by the United Arab Emirates) against old Europe, modernity against tradition, a European crown against 14 for Real, the youth of Pep Guardiola versus the wisdom of Carlo Ancelotti…
“I have the impression that Real are stronger than last season, that's what I felt at the Bernabeu,” said City's Portuguese Bernardo Silva, who opened the scoring with a free kick at the 'go.
“It was an exceptional team last year, the year before and that is the case this year as well,” said Guardiola on Tuesday - in search of a 4th C1, to equal Ancelotti -, citing in particular the importance of Karim Benzema in previous seasons. And while waiting perhaps for Kylian Mbappé…
But for its part, Manchester City is doing very well too. Author of the Champions League - Premier League - FA Cup treble last season, Guardiola's team, leader of the championship with six days remaining, is still on the verge of repeating the feat, while the battle is tough with Liverpool and Arsenal for the title.
The fireworks could be spectacular
If the return will probably be more tactical, the party promises to be beautiful. On the City side, Kevin De Bruyne, withdrawn due to illness on the way out, will be there this time. Unlike Aurélien Tchouaméni, the French international, suspended for the circumstance.
The fireworks could be grandiose, especially if some of the rockets were a little off on the way out, notably Haaland on City's side, and Bellingham, at Real, finally take off on the return trip.
The Norwegian serial scorer from City, 23 years old, silent in the first leg, will want to silence the criticism about his poor performance in major meetings. Since his return from a foot injury at the end of January after two months of absence, he has not scored against Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Arsenal or Real, therefore, a year after having already returned a clean sheet against the Spaniards in the semi-finals. C1 finals.
As for the English prodigy Jude Bellingham, 20 years old, author of 20 goals in his first 30 matches in the Merengue jersey, he has not found the net for more than two months and did not burst into the screen on Wednesday to Madrid.
Luckily, a new night awaits all these stars eager to shine.