Real Madrid vs. Manchester City: 3 individual battles that will decide the first leg

In what was undoubtedly one of the more memorable Champions League matchdays last week, we have finally arrived at the greatly anticipated semi-final stage, with surprise package, Villareal, taking a spot alongside the more established names in Liverpool, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.

With the first leg of the Real Madrid vs Manchester City semi-final set to be underway on April 26, we here at Real Champs have singled out some of the more intriguing individual matchups between the teams.

These particular bouts should go a long way in determining who ultimately takes possession of a spot for the final on May 28.

Real Madrid CM Luka Modric vs. Manchester City CM Kevin de Bruyne

With the vast quality in midfield between the sides, both Kevin de Bruyne and Luka Modric arguably lay claim as the quintessential maestros of their squads.

Modric’s ability to control the tempo and produce individual moments of brilliance will be crucial in defeating a Manchester City squad that’s hell-bent on making up for their lackluster performance in last year’s Champions League final.

Modric will likely sit deeper in midfield and try to create space in between the lines as he looks to provide probing balls to his attacking counterparts. With City most certainly utilizing their trusted 4-3-3 formation, there should theoretically be enough there for the Croatian wizard to weave his magic.

He most closely resembles your prototypical box-to-box midfielder but also possesses a lethal right foot that, given enough time and space, can invariably find the back of the net, even with the star-studded quality of Ederson between the sticks.

For the Cityzens, Kevin de Bruyne is without question their most integral figure in the middle, with Real Madrid looking to press him as soon as the ball arrives at his feet.

The customary tactic for most teams would be to keep a central midfielder such as Casemiro (if available) on him throughout the game. However, De Bruyne has shown a willingness in the past to go out wide and stray into the traditional fullback zone, with the hopes of dragging his marker and instigating just the right amount of confusion in defence for his side to take advantage of.

De Bruyne also edges out Modric in his ability to win aerial challenges, but where Modric’s value is most pronounced is in his defensive qualities, which are significantly better honed than his Belgian counterpart.

A complete midfielder is able to defend, consolidate, and then attack in that order, which is something Modric has demonstrated time and time again for club and country. De Bruyne, while being rightfully heralded as one of the best in the game at his position, doesn’t yet quite possess the same blend of these attributes, which could prove telling come matchday.