UEFA Champions league Quarter Finals .
Man City Vs Real Madrid . Dubbed The ETIHAD WAR
Second Leg Reverse Fixture at the City of Manchester Stadium , United Kingdom .
April 17th , 2024.

Another football battle dubbed **The ETIHAD WAR*** this evening at the Emirates Stadium in the City of Manchester stadium , where two European giants in the round leather game lock horns in football hostilities after playing out a dramatic 3-3 draw at the Bernabau last week .
In football circles , football fiollowers and pundits would have loved this encounter to be the Finals of this years champions league but time and the draws did not allow that to happen . so we seat out and watch two elephants struggle for supremacy tonight , Wednesday and the reward for today’s victory is a date in the semis with either Bayern or Gunners . The two side have met several times with both sharing the spoils of victory and losses .

Football hostiles between these two European giants in the round leather game in the Spanish capital rarely fail to live up to the pre-game billing, and last week’s first leg was no different, as Rodrygo’s trickling effort and a Ruben Dias own goal cancelled out Bernardo Silva’s fizzing free kick during a frenetic opening 15 minutes.
Another pair of world-class strikes from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol saw the tide turn yet again, but Carlo Ancelotti’s troops had one last trick up their sleeve – potentially the most astonishing of the night – as Federico Valverde’s exquisite volley capped off a six-goal extravaganza.

Coincidentally, six goals have also been registered in each of Man City’s last two Premier League contests, but Pep Guardiola’s men have come out on the correct end of the scoreline each time, coming from behind to conquer Crystal Palace before the weekend’s 5-1 dismantling of relegation-bound and bemused as well as badly positioned Luton Town..
The smiles etched across the Citizens’ faces would not have faded on Sunday either, as Arsenal and Liverpool’s humbling home losses means that the treble winners boast a two-point advantage at the summit of the Premier League rankings – far from insurmountable, though, despite the affirmations of some pessimistic Arsenal and Liverpool .

Now unbeaten in 27 matches across all tournaments since December’s lowly loss to Aston Villa, City have more than just a semi-final place on offer this week, as progression would also see the hosts equal a club-record 42-game unbeaten streak on home turf, a feat set all the way back in 1921.
Not since November 2022 – before the Qatar World Cup – have Man City emerged from an Etihad encounter on the wrong end of the scoreline, but Ancelotti’s Real Madrid are no strangers to extraordinary Champions League comebacks against their counterparts in sky blue.

Real Madrid’s unbeaten sequence may not be as noteworthy as their hosts’, but a 15-game streak without being bested is still nothing to be scoffed at, and the 14-time Champions League winners have some Mancunian history on their side ahead of Wednesday’s midweek sojourn to the north of England.
Indeed, the visitors have only managed to advance from two of their last 10 Champions League ties when failing to triumph in the opening leg, but both were against Manchester United in 1999-00 and 2012-13. Against the Red Devils’ noisy neighbours at a ground where they were crushed 4-0 last year, though, that may not bear much significance.

Manchester City have a slight edge over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League and have won four out of the last 11 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to the latter’s three victories.
Manchester City could become only the second team to knock Real Madrid out of a UEFA Champions League knockout tie in consecutive seasons after AC Milan achieved the feat in 1989 and 1990.
Manchester City have won their last three matches at home against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, with each of these victories coming under Pep Guardiola.
The last five matches between Real Madrid and Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League have produced a total of 23 goals.
Real Madrid have progressed from only two of their last 10 knockout ties in the UEFA Champions League in which they have failed to win the first leg at home.

Guardiola and co were able to revel in a quadruple fitness boost for the weekend’s visit of Luton, where Phil Foden – substituted with a knock in the first leg – and the ill Kevin De Bruyne both made the squad alongside Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake.
As a result, there is nothing to suggest that the quartet will not be fit to start the return fixture, and the holders’ only minor concern relates to John Stones, absent from the thrashing of Luton due to a niggle, although Guardiola affirmed that the Englishman was suffering from discomfort rather than something more sinister.
Stones was present in training on Wednesday along with both Walker and Ake, so the Citizens could have every single one of their troops available at a pivotal time in the season. Recalls are in order for the likes of Rodri, Silva and Foden after the trio enjoyed well-earned breaks on Saturday.

For Real Madrid they still have long-term ACL victims Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba watching on from the infirmary, but Eder Militao is slowly regaining match fitness and was brought on for the dying embers of last weekend’s triumph over Mallorca.
The Brazilian could now be an option to step in for the banned Tchouameni, absent on account of picking up his third yellow card of the current Champions League season, although he has curiously been included in their travelling squad.
Militao’s lack of minutes will work against him, though, same with captain Nacho Fernandez ought to start alongside Antonio Rudiger in the heart of defence, allowing Eduardo Camavinga – whose strike cannoned off Dias into the back of the net at the Bernabeu – to strut his stuff in midfield again.

Manchester City have been surprisingly inconsistent this season but seem to have found their footing ahead of this fixture. Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland can be unstoppable on their day and will need to make their mark in this fixture.
Real Madrid are seasoned campaigners in the UEFA Champions League but have a poor recent record at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City are the better team and should be able to win this game.,though football is highly unpredictable most times , as big teams have gone down the drain in high profile matches due to careless and tactless football prowess .

A total of twenty -threegoals have flown into the back of the net during City and Real’s last five contests – an average of 4.6 per game – and another engrossing encounter ought to be on the menu between two sides boasting fully-fit attacking contingents.
There may not be a repeat of the four-goal drubbing dished out by Guardiola’s charges , less than 12 months ago, but with the holders imperious on home soil – although without the defensive solitude to match – we expect Man City to remain on course for back-to-back continental triumphs and inflict a familiar sense of Mancunian misery on Real Madrid , AKA Los Blancos.

Predictions – Man City 3-1 or 3-2 / 2-2 , then a likey penalty shootout is not totally ruled out after full and extra time .

Happy Viewing and Happy Humps day (mod week ) that’s Wednesday
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