Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
Despite dropping points in La Liga, Real Madrid’s form in the Champions League remains unshaken. The reigning champions are ready to knock out Manchester City, who are bound to make defensive errors at the Bernabéu. The Manchester side will be forced to take risks, which could play into Madrid’s hands.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have scored in 13 of 14 games in 2025, failing to register a shot on target only once – in the controversial loss to Espanyol (0:1). On Saturday, despite playing with 10 men for a large portion of the match after Bellingham’s Bellingham’s red card, Real Madrid still managed to secure a 1:1 draw at Osasuna. They’ll be looking to make a statement here – in the first leg at the Etihad, they created 2.52 xG in the second half alone, fired six shots on target, and thrived in the high-intensity closing moments.
Manchester City
Manchester City’s game plan wasn’t a complete failure in the first leg, but Jack Grealish’s early injury disrupted Pep Guardiola’s approach. Manuel Akanji’s absence will be an even bigger issue, meaning either Rico Lewis or Abduqodir Husanov could start – both lacking experience at this level. Since 22 January, Manchester City have conceded 10 goals in their last three away matches, suffering heavy defeats to Paris Saint-Germain (2:4) and Arsenal (1:5).
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Prediction
With defensive instability in Manchester City’s ranks and Real Madrid’s strong attacking displays at home, the hosts should find the net multiple times. The best bet is on Real Madrid scoring at least twice.
