Real Madrid to face Manchester City in UEFA Champions League first quarter semi-final
Manchester City: English club Manchester City and Spanish club Real Madrid are set to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League today. The first quarter will be played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, City’s home ground.
1. Real Madrid beat another English club Chelsea in the quarter finals. Real Madrid beat Chelsea 3-1 in the first quarter but lost 2-3 in the second quarter to advance to the semi – finals with a 5-4 margin.
2. Manchester City beat Spanish club Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals. City won 1-0 in the first quarter and were held to a goalless draw in the second quarter.
3. City and Real are top of the points table in their respective domestic leagues. City lead the English Premier League with 80 points from 33 matches, including 25 wins. Real lead the Spanish La Liga with 78 points from 33 matches, including 24 wins.
4. Real and City have won the last two matches. But in the previous match, both had lost. City beat Watford 5-1 and Brighton & Hove 3-0 in previous games. Before that, they lost 2-3 to Liverpool. Real Madrid have beaten Osasuna 3-1 and Sevilla 3-2 in previous matches, before losing to Chelsea 2-3.
5. This is the seventh time that Real and City will face each other. The duo have won six of their previous six encounters in the Champions League. Two draws. In the 2019/20 season, City beat Real Madrid in both quarters of the pre-quarter.
6. Real Madrid have not won in their last three home games. Real Madrid have only beaten Chelsea in the quarter-finals of their last six Champions League away matches against English clubs.
7. Pep Guardiola, now City coach, is the former coach of Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona. Guardiola’s Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the semi – finals of the 2010-11 season. Guardiola also coached Real Madrid in the 2019-20 season as City coach.
8. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has the highest pass percentage (74) in the Champions League.
9. Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Greilish, Gabriel Jesus and Yao Cancello will all be playing for Manchester City.
10. Karim Benzema is Real’s top scorer in the Champions League with 12 goals this season. Benzema scored a hat-trick on English soil against Chelsea. Vinicius Jr., Asensio, Valverde, Tibo Curto, Nacho and Tibo Curto will also be in the Royals line-up.
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