The UEFA Champions League phase is heading into its Play-Off stage with the drawing being held on Friday. Teams ranked 9 to 24 in the league phase were drawn against each other and one of the most exciting matches was Manchester City’s clash against Real Madrid.
Man City Set to Face Off Against Madrid Again
Among several teams that were paired up, notably the most high-profile upcoming clash is Man City’s battle against Los Blancos. It’s not the first time the two teams have met in recent years, as their latest matchup was last season.
Interestingly according to the data from UEFA’s official site, Madrid and City have always met in the last three UCLs. Record-wise, Pep Guardiola’s men are slightly ahead with four wins, five draws, and three defeats.
However, during their latest matchup last season, it was Los Blancos that advanced via a penalty shootout. The Citizens will be keen to turn things around this time but it will be another difficult task, especially if they don’t improve their performance.
Both teams have been quite inconsistent in this season’s UCL, but Man City’s performance seems more fluctuating. Guardiola’s team have been struggling to get consecutive positive results both in the league and Europe.
Man City Hope to Improve Form Ahead of Madrid Battle
The Citizens will be playing Madrid home and away with the first matchup set to happen on February 11 at Emirates Stadium. Both teams will be playing the second leg on February 19, this time at Los Blancos’s ground, Santiago Bernabeu.
Both teams’ matchup early on this stage is seemingly inevitable following their positions in league phase final standings. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are sitting in 11th place with 15 points while City are in 22nd only with 11 points from eight matches.
At the moment, it looks like Los Blancos are slightly favourite to advance into the next round. Man City’s inconsistent performance is the main reason for them not getting the upper hand for the upcoming matchups.
Guardiola’s men have been going through some difficult moments this season, both in the Premier League and UCL. They are currently sitting fourth in the league standings and struggling to compete with Liverpool at the top.
Man City need to rediscover their form if they want to take down Los Blancos, who seem to be getting their mojo back recently. Kylian Mbappe looks to have settled down already and he will be one of The Citizens’ main threats in their matchups.
Full UCL Phase Play-Offs Drawing:
Man City v Real Madrid; Brest v PSG; Monaco v Benfica; Celtic v Bayern Munchen; Club Brugge v Atalanta; Juventus v PSV; Sporting CP v Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord v AC Milan
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