Back to back in the first leg (1-1), Manchester City and Real Madrid meet this Wednesday, May 17 for the semi-final return of the Champions League.
“ We have a game plan that we must execute a little better than on the first leg. We will try to create more chances and ensure that our front players receive the ball in better situations (…) But we expect to face the toughest opponents possible in recent years. We accept it, we expect it and all we have to do is go “Says Pep Guardiola on the eve of a shock for a place in the final. If he has already won twice with Barça in 2009 and 2011, the Catalan keeps repeating that his time at Manchester City will be judged on the C1. And with only one final in seven years, his record is meager.
The Erling Haaland Hour
Manchester City, who lost the title to Chelsea in 2021 (1-0), dreams of bringing down Real and their band of stars, in order to give themselves another chance to lift the “Big Ears Cup”. “ We have a group of players who have been together for quite a few years now, where we have been able to reverse situations, we have been in a position to win, in a position to lose (…) We’ve been through bad times and good times, but hopefully this time it’ll be the icing on the cake and put our name in the history books and put this club on the C1 winners’ map. said Citizens defenseman Kyle Walker today.
A fifth English title in sight – in six years – is no longer enough. Only a Champions League win now counts. Erling Haaland (36 goals in 33 games in the Premier League) recruited last summer, was rather discreet in the first leg, and will be eagerly awaited at the Etihad Stadium, as will Kevin de Bruyne, scorer of the equalizer at the to go, but who, in club as in selection with Belgium, is still chasing after the most prestigious international titles.
The Brazilian gem Vinicius
But opposite, there will be the most successful club in C1 (14), led by the most successful coach in C1, Carlo Ancelotti, who lifted the “Big Ears Cup” four times: with AC Milan , in 2003 and 2007, and with Real in 2014 and 2022.
The “White House” still has strong arguments when challenging the Mancunians. Starting with the Brazilian Vinicius, the only scorer in the last C1 final at the Stade de France against Liverpool (1-0). ” He is never injured, he always feels very good. At the moment, he brings us a lot, his way of playing is spectacular. He is the future of this club. And the future is now “says Ancelotti. Out of the shadow of Karim Benzema, less prominent, but still Real’s top scorer this season, Vinicius now takes all the light: he currently has 23 goals and 21 assists in all competitions, making him the most decisive player in the Real.