Two teams battle for the next ticket toward the UCl Semi Final, and hopefully, the final. The two strongest clubs, Real Madrid and Manchester City, face each other in the Quater-finals of the Champions League Competitions. Man City sits third in the premier league, tied with first and second place in terms of points. Madrid sits high in 1st place in La Liga,only 8 points ahead. Both teams have shown the world the skill, money, and tactics used to create powerful squads.

Madrid is a club with a long history. Stars like Ronaldo, Zidane, and more have helped decorate the club with their achievements. The team has won 36 La Ligas titles and 15 UCl titles, the most in history. Recently, they won the UCL in 2022, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final. The squad was full of flair including Rodrygo, Modric, and Vini Jr. who carried the team throughout the competition. Rodrygo scored 3 goals total during the semi-finals when Madrid faced Man City. 

Though Man City defeated Madrid 4-3 in the first leg, Madrid came back in the second game ending 3-1, ultimately ending in an aggregate score of 6-5, giving Madrid the win. The 2022 UCL champions team is very similar to the current 2023-2024 squad. The few key differences have arguably bettered the team which is why the team has been so successful this year. The midfield is stacked with various talents like Tchouameni, Modric, and Toni Kroos. Madrid’s backline this season has faced many changes and is questionable as the team has suffered quite a few injuries but even out of position, the team has held up. World class keeper, Courtois, faced an unfortunate injury which has knocked him out this season. Despite this massive loss, Madrid’s 3rd keeper Lunin stepped up, took the place of Kepa, and played an important role in the back line. 

Real Madrid’s team is easily recognized by their attackers. Vini Jr., Rodrygo, and Bellingham played an odd but effective front three. Brazilian Wingers, Rodrygo and Vini Jr. bring the unique “Samba” football to the team, while England superstar, Jude Bellingham plays a unique position. Covering the attacking midfield and striker position, he helps the team by moving the ball up and finishing.

The other juggernaut is Manchester City. While the team’s trophy collection is lacking compared to Real Madrid’s, their team’s success is still impressive. In total, City has won the Premier League 9 times and the UCL once. Despite their short list of accomplishments, the team has risen in recent years. Last season the team won the treble: the FA cup, Premier League, and Champions League. A feat which should not be overlooked. 

With major financial support the team has built a well rounded team led by a successful manager, Pep Guardiola. Pep spent most of his career at FC Barcelona and after retiring, coached at Barcelona, Bayern, and Manchester City. He has won the treble twice, once with Barcelona, and last year with Man City. His main goal this year was to repeat it. His coaching tactics focus on possession or “Tiki-Taka”. The team passes precisely and if they lose the ball, players use high pressure to get it right back. City’s coaching staff is only one factor when it comes to the team’s success. 

“The teams are arguably the best two teams in the world currently and both have various obstacles to overcome to push forward to the semi-finals.”

The team is full of young and experienced talents like Rodri, Foden, and Halaand. The common line up starts with Ederson, who has recently fallen victim to muscle and knee injuries. His work at Man City has guided the team when facing tough opponents. The back line begins with teenager Rico Lewis at right back, international stars Diaz and Stones as center backs, and Akanji as a replacement for injured left back, Kyle Walker. Similar to Madrid’s squad, the midfield is full of talent. Rodri, the Spanish defensive midfielder, plays a massive role for man city. City had not been defeated for 60 games when Rodri landed in the starting line up. Another crucial midfielder is Kovacic, a central midfielder, who’s main role is to distribute the ball up the pitch. The final midfielder is De Bruyne. Known for his beautiful assists, he has been a key player when it comes to scoring goals. The front line consists of Bernardo Silva, Erling Halaand, and Phil Foden. Foden and Silva on the wings provide creativity and flair. Haalnd’s is City’s main goal scorer, he even won the Golden boot last year.

The teams are arguably the best two teams in the world currently and both have various obstacles to overcome to push forward to the semi-finals. Madrid has suffered the loss of  Courtois which can be a weakness that Man City can exploit. City faces issues as well. Their main starting left back is out due to injury giving Madrid the advantage on the right wing. Based on statistics Madrid has a 35% chance of winning, 27% chance of a draw, and 38% City winning. While Man City is predicted to win, the game is unpredictable (Google stats). 

The teams played in the Santiago Bernabeu and the stadium echoed with chants from the passionate Madrid fans. As soon as the match began, the intensity was on. Two minutes into the game, Man city won a freekick and Bernardo Silva struck directly into the bottom left corner. After multiple attacks from Man city, Madrid finally gets into the final third. Caravajal sent a short pass to Camavinga and he drove into space in front of the box. From outside the box, Camavinga takes the shot and it reflects off Ruben Diaz and into the goal in the 12th minute. Shortly after the equalizer, Madrid launches a quick counter attack to the left side of the pitch. Rodrygo drives the ball down the line, faces the keeper, and taps it in the goal. Both teams at this point wake up and defend well. The first half finishes 2-1, in favor of Real Madrid. Well into the 2nd half, Foden brings Man City back into the game with a banger from outside the box. With the energy boost from Man City’s equalizer, Gvardiol puts Man City into the lead 3-2. Though the game’s unpredictableness is not over yet. Madrid’s left wing crosses it to Valverde and with a one touch finish, he equalizes the game. With 4 minutes of extra time, the score stays 3-3.

This game is a perfect example of intense, interesting football from the top teams in the world. They again in the second leg of the Quarterfinals in Manchester’s home turf, Etihad Stadium. While the location of the game gives City the advantage, the game is almost impossible to predict. They face each other Wednesday, April 17th in the battle to score the ticket to the Semifinals. One step closer to becoming champions of the world.

Smith, R. (2024, March 8). The best player in the Premier League? look deeper. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/08/world/europe/liverpool-manchester-city-rodri.html#:~:text=The%20last%20time%20Rodri%20played,defeat%20in%20any%20of%20them. 

Google. (n.d.). Google search. https://www.google.com/search?q=man%2Bcity%2Bvs%2Breal%2Bmadrid&rlz=1CARLJX_enUS1106&oq=man%2Bcity%2Bvs%2Breal%2Bmadrid%2B&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYjwIyBwgAEAAYjwIyDQgBEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgCEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgDEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgEEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgFEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyEAgGEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQYigUyBggHEAAYAzIGCAgQABgDMhAICRAAGIMBGLEDGIAEGIoF0gEIMzEyN2owajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on#sie=m;/g/11y3j3h2l1;2;/m/0c1q0;dt;fp;1;;;