Manchester City vs Real Madrid Prediction: Can Erling Haaland Lead Man City to Champions League Semifinal Win?

Champions League winners Real Madrid are all set to host Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.

Manchester City vs. Real Madrid Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2023
• Game Time: 3:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: CBS, Univision, Paramount+

Manchester City vs. Real Madrid Prediction

Real Madrid: Reigning Champs

The previous mutual encounter between the two teams was in the semi-finals of the Champions League last season. It was one of the most entertaining double headers of the UCL action and saw Real Madrid come out on top. The Citizens won the first leg 4-3 and managed to find the back of the net first in the second leg. However, Rodrygo scored a brace late in the game's last minutes to level things up, and Karim Benzema fired from the spot to guide Los Blancos to the final.

Real Madrid is currently sitting second in the domestic league standings and has been fairly impressive in this season. Los Blancos edged Osasuna to a 2-1 victory in the Copa del Rey final over the weekend and will be confident ahead of this fixture. They will now prioritize a 15th top-level European crown, and they have only failed to reach the final in one of the previous five seasons where they have progressed to the semis. 

Carlo Ancelotti cannot call upon Eder Militao in this first leg at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as he is suspended, whilst Ferland Mendy is still out. Luka Modric may recover fully to start after playing from the bench against Osasuna.

Last year Real Madrid won the trophy, having seen off Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool in the knockout stages. Despite that success and their European pedigree, they are underdogs heading into Tuesday’s clash, but they definitely can’t be underestimated at this level.

Man City: Attacking Firepower

Man City has been on fire of late. They have been unbeaten in their last 20 matches in all competitions. They have won 17 out of those fixtures. Manchester City was lagging in the Premier League title race, but this incredible run has helped them claim the top spot with just a few games to go.

The Citizens head into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 over Leeds United. While it was not their best game, they managed to rest some of their key players. Former Man United player Wayne Rooney opines that Pep's men will not only beat Madrid at Bernabeu but also blow away the Los Blancos. We don’t expect them to destroy Real Madrid, but they should have enough to return home with a positive result.

They are being hyped up for a treble this term, but they went into last season’s Champions League semi-final as favorites, so they must not repeat the same mistakes again. City lost Nathan Ake to an apparent hamstring issue against Leeds, and the Dutchman has been ruled out of the first leg. Pep Guardiola will be tempted to use Kyle Walker to try and keep Vinicius Junior at bay.

Real Madrid vs. Man City Picks

Overall Los Blancos haven’t been at their best. Carlo Ancelotti’s troops have lost two of their last five matches. They will hope that they don’t repeat their errors against City’s deadly attacking line. Real have gone over 300 minutes without conceding in Europe and should make life tough for the visitors, but City’s attacking firepower should prevail. Manchester City are the better team on paper, and we’re backing them to win this clash. With a super Erling Haaland, the Premier League record holder for the most goals scored in a season. Man City should be able to score twice on their own. 

Pick 1: Man City ML at +110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick.

Pick 2: Man City Team Total Over 1.5 Goals at -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick.

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