Pep Guardiola is preparing for his 190th Champions League game as a manager, which will bring him level with Sir Alex Ferguson. This match is a rematch of last season’s playoff, where Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City with a 6-3 aggregate score.
The two giants also faced each other in the league phase of this campaign, with Guardiola’s team securing a 2-1 victory in Madrid. Manchester City have had a mixed season, finishing in the top eight to earn an automatic spot in the Round of 16. However, defeats against Bayer Leverkusen and Bodo Glimt certainly raised concerns. Fortunately, wins against Galatasaray in the final gameweek allowed them to clinch a top-eight position.
Real Madrid finished just behind Manchester City, which forced them into a two-match playoff against Benfica, where they won 3-1 on aggregate. Unfortunately, a 4-2 defeat to the Portuguese side in the final match week prevented Madrid from making it into the top eight. The match saw two red cards issued to Rodrygo and Asensio, and a last-minute header from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin secured his team’s place in the top 24.
Manchester City were awaiting pateintly for the draw to commence because they could have either played Bodo Glimt or Real but the Spanish giants were the ones they will face.
Real Madrid,also known as Los Blancos, have lost their last four UEFA matches against English teams. However, they have only been defeated in three of their last 25 Champions League home matches, with a record of 19 wins and 3 draws against all opponents. Additionally, they can take confidence from having won 13 of their last 15 UEFA Champions League ties in the Round of 16, including winning the first leg in 10 of their last 12 matches at this stage.
In their domestic league campaigns, both teams are currently second in a title race. Real Madrid are trailing leaders Barcelona by four points, following a last-minute goal from Federico Valverde that secured a win against Celta Vigo over the weekend. Carlo Ancelotti’s side still have a crucial match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou so the title race is not over yet for them.
On the other hand, Manchester City sit seven points behind leaders Arsenal but have a game in hand. Their next match will be against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium, which could allow them to close the gap to four points. City will also host Arsenal in a highly anticipated match on April 19. Before that, they will compete in the Carabo Cup at Wembley against the Gunners.
