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Real Madrid and Manchester City will fight for a place in the second round of the UEFA Champions League in what ought to be at least a quarter-final clash.
However, both teams got what they deserved after failing to secure a top-eight finish in the league format of the competition.
Manchester City had to wait until matchday eight to qualify for the playoffs with a 3-1 win over Club Brugge at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola’s men have had it rough this season in all competitions and a face-off against the defending champions might practically end their season in February.
This post highlights why Real Madrid will knock out Manchester City in the playoffs round of the Champions League.
1. Manchester City’s leaky defense
One of the hallmarks of Manchester City’s poor run this season is the number of goals they have conceded and how they have let those goals in. The 2023 champions have conceded 50 goals since the two-all draw against Arsenal in September.
Real Madrid within that time frame has scored 86 goals in all competitions which speaks volumes of how Carlo Ancelotti’s men are potent in front of goal.
Pep Guardiola added two new defenders to his squad during the January transfer window, Viktor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov in a bid to bolster his defense. However, the new recruits are yet to fully settle into the squad and Manchester City are still conceding.
Arsenal recorded their biggest win over Pep Guardiola with a 5-1 win on 2 February.
Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham will look to take advantage of City’s sloppiness in defense on Tuesday night when both meet in the first leg at the Etihad.
2. Manchester City’s struggle against big teams
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have struggled greatly against big teams in the Premier and the Champions League this season.
Manchester City lost the Manchester derby to Manchester United in front of their home fans in December They also lost to Liverpool, their biggest rival at the moment within that time frame as well.
Arsenal also got a bite of the cherry two weeks ago in a massive win at the Emirates 10 days ago.
The losses against Juventus and Paris Saint Germain in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League put Manchester City’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs in a tight spot.
The former champions find it difficult to win against big opposition this season and the trend is likely to continue when they welcome Real Madrid in the first leg.
3. Psychological Edge
Real Madrid have not been explosive this season but they will go into the match against Manchester City with a psychological advantage.
The defending champions beat Manchester City on penalties at the Etihad in the quarter-finals of the 2023/2024 season en route to the final against Borrusia Dortmund.
While this happened about eight months ago, the memory still lingers in the minds of the players ahead of the heavyweight clash.
Also, the Etihad is not a fortress at this point as Manchester City tend to dig deep to win games. The Cityzens came from a goal down to beat Club Brugge 3-1 to secure a place in the playoffs – a team they would have easily dispatched last season or 18 months ago.
