Champions League: City pursues its dream against the stainless Real Madrid

Better not to go out without your umbrella on the lawn of Santiago Bernabeu, in Madrid, one evening of the Champions League.

The sky could fall on your head.

Paris SG had the bitter experience of it in the round of 16.

Chelsea also in the quarter.

Manchester City has time to prepare for it, the return semi-final is only in a week.

But the first leg, this Tuesday (9 p.m.) in England, will set the trend.

At what psychological level is City, finalist last year for the first time, which has been desperately chasing this trophy for a decade?

Real Madrid, which has often folded without ever breaking, does it have the weapons to make the Skyblues doubt?

To discover

• Champions League fixtures and results

Seen from afar, at the dawn of their first leg semi-final, Real and City offer similar results.

They are both leaders in their championship with an almost identical number of points (78 for Real, 80 for City).

They got out of the quarters with only one goal more than their opponent and their two coaches did not pour into blissful optimism despite qualifying.

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Guardiola after the draw against Atlético in the second leg of C1: "

"

“

, ”said Merengue coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"

," scolded Pep Guardiola after City's sluggish draw (0-0) at Atlético, Madrid's neighbor.

Real only have the Champions League to play for

The similarities end there.

First, the national context is not the same.

Real only need one point from their next 5 La Liga matches to retain their league title.

He has the lead in Europe, while City sees Liverpool sticking to their coattails with a point behind and 5 Premier League days to play.

Then, Real know how to hurt themselves.

“

”, congratulated Ancelotti after eliminating Chelsea, partly thanks to the entries of Rodrygo and French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

City, on the contrary, are used to dominating the debates and weaving their web.

We saw it against Sporting in the eighth (0-5, 0-0) then against Atlético (1-0, 0-0).

But also in the league against another semi-finalist of this C1, Liverpool, on April 10 (2-2).

Manchester City still feverish?

If we fell into caricature, it looks like City has all the team that will master its subject for almost 180 minutes, and Real all of the one that can reveal its flaws.

Especially since, on the mental level, a dimension of tenfold importance in the Champions League, City does not have the best pedigree.

In the quarter-finals of the 2020 Champions League, City collapsed against the modest Olympique Lyonnais of Rudi Garcia (3-1).

The following year, Guardiola had attempted a gamble in the final, depriving himself of a defensive midfielder.

Bet lost against Chelsea (1-0).

And this year, against Atlético in the second leg, City was "

" by Guardiola's admission, while the Colchoneros had not even shot on goal in the first leg.

The talent factory of Real, the certainties in the game of City

If Luka Modric and Toni Kroos see their regularity weaken over time, it is difficult to believe that they will not thwart, in sequence, the pressing of the Citizens, supported by a Karim Benzema in the oven and in the mill and more favorite than ever for the Ball Golden.

If the austere Atlético could endanger City, Real can at least do the same.

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It remains to be seen whether Real will contain the repeated assaults of the Skyblues.

The latest signals are not reassuring.

The White House hasn't kept a clean sheet in the Champions League since the group stage.

She caught fire at home against Barça on March 20 (0-4).

Its defender Eder Militão (24), brilliant in the first part of the season, seemed disoriented in Seville on April 17, where Real came back from afar (2-3 victory).

Real does not arrive with the same certainties as City in the game. But it relies on a core of players experienced in these major events.

City is squarely designed to respond to this, and finally win the European Grail.

But 180 minutes against the prestigious Real Madrid is a long time.

Very long.