3 biggest keys to victory for Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the first leg

We aren’t far away from one of the most anticipated clashes in the UEFA Champions League this season. Only three days remain until Manchester City host Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, at the Etihad. It’s going to be an exciting game for sure, and Real Madrid would like to seek revenge for their elimination at the hands of the English club in 2020.

As expected, Manchester City enter this game as the favourites, and Real Madrid will be the underdogs, despite having knocked out the defending champions Chelsea in the previous round. It is understandable though, because City are the best team in the world at the moment, and they can be labelled as an almost-perfect team.

It will be a difficult task for Real Madrid to beat Manchester City, but it isn’t impossible. And Los Blancos need to win the first leg at their home, which will give a massive mental edge to the team.

So let us have a look at the keys to victory against City, in the first leg at the Etihad this Tuesday.

1. Plug all the gaps in the defence

Pundits often say that “Goals win you matches, but defence wins you titles”, and it is 100% valid in the case of any club. Real Madrid started as an ultra attacking side under Carlo Ancelotti this season, outscoring the opponents to clinch the three points. But it wasn’t until the Italian made some defensive fixes that his side looked like a consistent one.

Against City, the highly successful Ancelotti would love to see his defence step up for the big game, but he has a mini-defensive crisis on his hands. David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Casemiro are out injured, and their presence isn’t guaranteed for the first leg. Ferland Mendy has returned to training, and even his back-up Marcelo is back to training, but the Frenchman’s presence is very important against a team that has players like Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva on its right-wing.

Alaba’s availability is a doubt as well, and being Real Madrid’s best ball-playing defender, he will be a major miss. Casemiro hasn’t been at his best this season, but no manager would wish to have his regular starter unavailable and Ancelotti will wish that all of them will be available for this tie.

In the worst-case scenario, the backline would comprise Dani Carvajal/Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho and Marcelo/Carvajal, with Camavinga shielding the defence. This does look like a major downgrade from who we usually see every game, but we shouldn’t forget that defence with Carvajal as the CB didn’t concede a single goal against Chelsea. Irrespective of the personnel, it is important for the defence to keep a few things in mind, and put in a strong performance against Manchester City.

First of all, the centre-backs should keep in mind that they should avoid leaving the backline needlessly to go and press an attacker. This tactic from Nacho cost us two goals against Chelsea, and it left a gaping hole at the back, which was well exploited by the Blues’ pacy attackers. The centre-backs should maintain defence, and they need to ensure that they maintain the defensive line throughout the game, and execute the offside trap well while maintaining a high line.

Positional discipline and a proper marking scheme will help the team clear crosses in a better way, something which has been lacking all season. Guardiola might be tempted to play Gabriel Jesus, who has scored 4 goals and assisted another against Watford, against Madrid, given Real’s issues defending crosses. Such a situation would call for greater focus and discipline from Real’s backline.

Another tactic Real need to execute as a team is that they shouldn’t afford to give City a lot of space outside the box, particularly in zone 14. City’s creative players can destroy any opposition from such areas, and the team must try their best to force City’s players wide, and have minimal space between the lines, which will help the team defend City’s low crosses and cutbacks. Madrid shouldn’t exactly follow the tactics deployed by their local rivals Atletico Madrid, but their defenders should be quick with their decision-making and be confident.

The most important thing Madrid’s defenders need to keep in mind is that they shouldn’t lose concentration at any point of the game, and shouldn’t be in two minds. In 2020, three of the four goals scored by Manchester City across the two legs, and Sergio Ramos’ sending off in the first leg were due to individual mistakes and concentration lapses. There shouldn’t be any scope for unnecessary fouls in the box, careless giveaways, and other unforced errors in a big game like this.

And the right-flank needs to be defended well, given Carvajal’s struggles against quicker wingers this season. Raheem Sterling is one such player who can produce the end product, and Fede Valverde needs to start this game at any cost and he should be Carvajal’s partner on the right. The Uruguayan’s presence is enough to solidify the right flank.