Real Madrid vs. Manchester City: 5 burning questions before Champions League match

Real Madrid host Manchester City on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu, but things are not looking up for the hosts with Eden Hazard out for the clash.

Not only are Real Madrid heading into this important fixture against Manchester City on the back of a defeat to Levante, but they also lost Eden Hazard to a serious injury.

Real’s stellar form has come to an end and their top place is snatched again by arch rivals Barcelona, as Los Merengues dropped unlikely points against Celta Vigo at home and at Levante.

They go into a decisive week of the season with clash against Manchester City in the Champions League followed by El Clasico, which is a must-win fixture now.

Manchester City only have the Champions League as the major trophy to play for and given they are banned from the competition afterwards, this will serve as an extra motivation for the Citizens.

Real Madrid went out at this stage last season, but Zinedine Zidane will look to bring back the glory days of his Champions League nights back at the Bernabeu and maintain his record in the competition as a coach.

1. How do you feel going into this game?

Ali Al-Hassan

Really nervous. I know what we are capable of but you cannot ignore the beast that is Manchester City. They are tactically very strong and they have players that can change a game at any moment. Also, they have no chance of winning the Premier League AND they have just gotten banned (pending appeal) from the Champions League for the next two seasons.

All that put together is extremely worrying. However, when all is said and done, we are Real Madrid and have shown that we have what it takes to not only beat City but also win the competition. It’s going to be a very interesting match.

Kevin Parvizi

If I answered this before the Levante match, I would have simply said “good”. But now that Real Madrid have dropped points to Celta Vigo and Levante, I feel conflicted.

Real clearly outplayed both Celta and Levante. But the problem is they let their guard down in vital moments, allowing goals that undermined everything they did for the better part of 90 minutes. Los Blancos must be more clinical on offense, and, defensively, they must understand that one small lapse can cost the game.

Remember when Real blew a 2-0 lead against PSG and had to settle for a draw in a game they dominated? That could easily happen against Manchester City.

Hasan Karim

I feel that generally the team can be confident going into this game. City have been very Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde this season – they’ve struggled in some of their bigger games and just haven’t looked as solid as we know they can be. I think given the defensive solidity Real have shown and some of the strengths they possess, Real have more than enough to challenge Pep’s side. Alongside this, Real boast a level of experience that not one single Manchester City player has – stepping up in the UCL and showing that tournament winning mentality.

Nithanth Ravindran

I feel fairly confident about the tie. Los Blancos look strong defensively and with Hazard’s return, Madrid’s offensive issues will slowly be fixed. In the game vs Celta, Hazard showed that he’s ready to play and looked in good form. It’s going to be a tough tie, no doubt about that, but Madrid right now is more than capable of handling whatever Manchester City throws at them.

Yasheel Vyas

I was always nervous going into this game given Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City is already out of the league race and have only this title to play for. The UCL ban will serve as an extra motivation for them as well. Despite all these factors I was a bit positive given the form our team was in until the hiccups of the last two games.

We lost points to sides which are in the bottom half of the table and easily gave away the three-point cushion as well. Now I am a bit more scared going into this game and what City’s attack is capable of but we should still see this through as Manchester City is not a team that plays in a low block, and we’ll get enough opportunity to do the damage.