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Shortly after Manchester City reached the semi-finals in the premier class with a 1-1 win in Munich, the focus was already on the next round: the semi-final against Real Madrid.
For coach Pep Guardiola it was clear that sooner or later there would be a duel with the defending champion: “All the clubs in the world have the feeling: if you want to win this competition, you have to beat Real Madrid.” Guardiola has a lot of respect for the upcoming opponent, especially for their semi-final record: “Eleven semi-finals in 13 years – chapeau, hats off!”
“We’re Moving Forward”
Attacker Bernardo Silva (28) meanwhile made a declaration of war: “We are going to try everything. I feel like the team is working really well at the moment. We are confident and I think we will get through it.” However, according to the Portuguese, we know how difficult it is to play against Real Madrid in this competition.
Flashback: Last year, the two teams also met in the semifinals and fought an eternal duel. City won the first leg 4-3 and in the second leg they also led 1-0 at the Bernabeu until the 90th minute. Real already seemed out of the game when the Whites managed to save themselves in extra time with two goals from Rodrygo in extra time. Benzema then shot the Madrilenians into the final and Manchester City into the vale of tears.
Manchester City is favourite
What the English champions can hope for this year: The order of the matches has been reversed. First they are guests in Madrid, a week later the second leg takes place in Manchester. Maybe a small advantage in the giant duel.
A look at the betting also shows that Manchester City is the favorite in the bill. No wonder after the dominant performance in the two games against Bayern. In addition, the Citizens did not lose a game in the league or the premier league in the 2023 calendar year.
A victory against Real Madrid would probably be the decisive step for the star ensemble around Erling Haaland to the long-awaited first Champions League title in club history. And it would be revenge for one of the most painful defeats in recent memory. (byl)
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
