Manchester City: Will the spectacle of the Etihad Stadium be followed by the shipwreck at the Estadio Bernabéu?

The conditions on the biggest day in Manchester City’s European history could not have been bleaker. Torrential rain and 7,968 spectators in Vienna’s Prater Stadium witnessed the Skyblues’ 2-1 win in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup on April 29, 1970 against Gornik Zabrze.

52 years later, the club is still waiting for the second title at European level, it should finally work – in the Champions League. That First leg against Real Madrid won the selection of team manager Pep Guardiola 4:3, “only” 4:3 you have to say. Of the Premier League leaders delivered an offensive gala against the Spanish record champions and could have made the result much clearer.

“We started very well and could have done it already,” said City star Phil Foden. “We have to take better advantage of our chances.” Because that didn’t work at Etihad Stadium, the premier class dream could burst again – as has happened for ten years in a row.

Champions League

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The billions invested by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the club’s main shareholder since 2009, were primarily made to conquer the Champions League crown. Against Madrid, the Guardiola selection is clearly favored after the performances of this season.

In fact. Because Real, together with Liverpool FC, is probably the only team that has the necessary tools to bring Manchester City to its knees.

Eurosport.de names the three most important reasons:

1.) Cibeles fountain of youth

“Madridismo experienced a magical moment once again,” wrote Real Madrid on its website. Only at the weekend did the royal ones go through 4-0 against Espanyol Barcelona the 35th championship perfect – with a better B-Eleven. Captain Marcelo then naturally spoke of the “best club in the world”. That 0: 4 home debacle in March Clásico is finally ticked off, the arch-rival FC Barcelona distanced in the table by a whopping 15 points. The title was traditionally celebrated at the Cibeles Fountain in the center of Madrid.

Party in Madrid: Real celebrates 35th championship

“It’s a lot of emotion for me,” enthused right winger Rodrygo after the celebration at Cibeles. An experience that should release additional strength for the showdown against Manchester City (Wednesday from 9:00 p.m. in the live ticker at Eurosport.de). Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team could not have gained more self-confidence – the Cibeles as a kind of fountain of youth for the royals.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have to manage the balancing act of keeping the tension high in both the league and the European Cup. Although City easily beat Newcastle United 4-0 away from home last weekend, they are sitting Liverpool are just one point behind the leaders in the neck.

2.) The Benzema Factor

The hymns of praise that have been sung to the attacker for weeks have not stopped. Rightly so. Karim Benzema is the offensive life insurance for Real. The Frenchman has scored in eight of his ten Champions League appearances this season, 14 times in total. Benzema has scored nine goals in the past four knockout games. It was “difficult to find words for what he does – week after week,” said teammate David Alaba. “Especially this season, it’s incredible and we’re really, really happy he’s with us.”

Karim Benzema

Fotocredit: Getty Images

How heavy the Benzema factor weighs showed in the first leg. City was about to dismantle Real into all its individual parts. It was 2-0 after just eleven minutes, and the hosts pressed for the third goal – until Benzema used an ice-cold cross and volleyed in the 33rd minute to make it 2-1. When City threatened to rush away again in the second half with a 4-2 lead, the 34-year-old casually chipped a hand penalty into the net Panenka-style.

For the second leg, the goalgetter announced that he would deliver “something magical” with the team. It cannot be ruled out that the striker will then take full risks again. “I have a lot of confidence in myself,” Benzema clarified. This means that strokes of genius like the Panenka penalty are crowned with success.

3.) Manchester’s hidden weakness

Does Manchester City have a real weakness? Rather not. The English champions are so dominant that it’s difficult to criticize. Admittedly, unlike Liverpool (Mohamed Salah), Tottenham (Heung-Min Son) or Manchester United (Cristiano Ronalo), City doesn’t have the one top clipper that can be read from the Premier League top scorers list.

Nevertheless: The league leaders have the second best attack in the league with 84 goals, only that the goal load is spread over more shoulders, especially those of Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez – or, more recently, that of Gabriel Jesus. Mahrez, City’s best top scorer, is currently “only” sixth in the ranking, but Manchester’s variability in attack can certainly be interpreted as a strength.

Manchester City – Real Madrid: Benzema in a duel with Sinchenko

Fotocredit: Getty Images

All the more surprising was the statement by coach Guardiola, who revealed what was perhaps his players’ only weakness shortly before Christmas. “We’re not good defenders individually,” explained the Spaniard. In fact, it is noticeable that City did not look good on the defensive in individual games. Especially not when the opponent was also looking for possession or managed to create counterattacks. Guardiola counters the problem with a ball-oriented style of play.

“The ball is the only reason why you are stable. When the midfielders gain possession, you are stable behind them and have good chances going forward in the game,” said the 51-year-old. With this, Manchester successfully caches the secret weakness in the defense. Only: Real Madrid also masters this system with its outstanding cast in midfield. The greater the ball possession percentage of the home side in the Bernabéu, the more dangerous it becomes for the city defense.

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