Guardiola's men travel to Spain to face 13 times champions, hoping to get some advantage ahead of the return leg at Manchester.
Man City will prioritize winning this year UCL, after bn outclassed by Liverpool in the domestic league and also their newly installed UCL ban.

City were rocked by UEFA's announcement on February 14 that they have been expelled from European football competitions for the next two seasons for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations. The Citizens have pleaded their innocence and have vowed to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
As things stand, though, the club will not have another chance to crack the Champions League until 2022-23, by which point a number of key players - and indeed boss Pep Guardiola - will likely have moved on.

That will no doubt provide some added motivation as City fly out to the Spanish capital for the opening 90 minutes of a tie which, as Madrid striker Karim Benzema put it, is expected to be very tight.

Guardiola's men have got their league campaign back on track with wins over West Ham United and Leicester City over the past week. All that has done, though, is ensure they will almost certainly not finish any higher or lower than second place.

The only way this campaign can now be considered a success is to go all the way on the continent, which they have been unable to come close to achieving in any of their eight previous seasons in the competition.
There is also the small matter of next weekend's EFL Cup final showdown with Aston Villa, of course, as well as an FA Cup last-16 tie with Sheffield Wednesday, but the Champions League now takes priority over all other competitions for Guardiola.

The English champions could have done with an easier first knockout-round fixture, then, with Madrid very much the "kings of the competition" in the words of Guardiola.

A 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo and last weekend's 1-0 loss at Levante has allowed Barcelona, themselves pretty mediocre for the majority of 2019-20, to take a two-point lead at the top.

Crashing out of the Champions League stage in the first knockout round for a second season running will be pretty disastrous for Madrid, even more so if their underwhelming form continues domestically.

However, Zidane has won all 12 Champions League ties he has been involved in as Madrid manager and currently holds three Champions League trophies as a head coach, a joint-record alongside Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti.

The Frenchman, who returned to the Santiago Bernabeu after Madrid's loss to Ajax last season, has become a specialist at winning European Cups.

Guardiola has now gone nine years since the second and most recent of his continental triumphs, meanwhile, and he recently admitted that he will be considered a failure if his time at the Etihad Stadium ends without him lifting the famous trophy.

That adds an extra edge to a tie that many will hope lives up to the hype. At the end of the second leg, it will either be Zidane or Guardiola left picking up the pieces of a season that has fallen apart.

Real Madrid's Champions League form: LDWWDW
Real Madrid's form (all competitions): WWLWDL

Manchester City's Champions League form: WWWDDW
Manchester City's form (all competitions): WWLLWW

Madrid were dealt a big injury blow in the week as Eden Hazard, who has only just returned from a long-term layoff, was ruled out for potentially the rest of the season with a broken ankle.

Marco Asensio is Madrid's only other absentee, with the Spaniard yet to play a single minute this term after suffering a serious knee injury during pre-season.

Zidane has a decision to make on whether to recall Gareth Bale, who has struggled to hold down a place in the side this term and missed out against Levante at the weekend due to a sickness bug.

Vinicius Junior, Isco and Rodrygo Goes are also battling it out for a spot in the frontline, which will almost certainly be spearheaded by Benzema.

Elsewhere, Zidane may give the nod to Federico Valverde over Luka Modric in central midfield and left-back Ferland Mendy is also in contention for a recall.

As for City, Guardiola is confident centre-back Aymeric Laporte will be fit to feature despite limping off inside an hour against Leicester with a knock.

Raheem Sterling is also pushing for inclusion after recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the Citizens' last two matches.

Leroy Sane has been closing in on a return to first-team action, but this match is expected to come too soon for his comeback.

Guardiola is likely to stick with Sergio Aguero through the middle, meanwhile, despite the striker's recent below-par displays and Gabriel Jesus' winner from the bench versus Leicester.

Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Mendy; Valverde, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Isco

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodrigo, Bernardo; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling

Another EPL team abt to exit the UCL

The field go catch fire with the array of stars ooh

My prediction:3-1 either way

Madrid 0 city 4

Full Time score

iHALA MADRID, the greatest team in Europe. In an era where there was a pure blooded Argentine wizard leading Barcelona, a mean defence from Turin, the attack oriented side from Bavaria, the oil rich teams in Manchester and paris, we still managed to win 4 UCL titles.

Igbosmoker:
Madrid 0 city 4

Full Time score

let's wait and see

2-1

Both managers are in their own league, it is unfortunate that Manchester city has gotten massive ban, but that doesn't mean that the pressure will be converted to victory tonight.

Madrid need to win as much Manchester city. The best team/performer and most lucky will win.

I am Abimbola, Lead Strategist at Kobobrand Inc.
We help business owners with free business growth hacks.

I still don't understand why the bookmakers gave Madrid 3.00 odd while Man City is 2:40....it's just an absolute disrespect to Madrid even though they are fielding amateur players.



For me,

I carry Madrid straight win


100k

ROI = 300,000

If e like make e come , if e like make e burn ( no be today ).

Match 2 watch

this match will either end 2-1 in favor of madrid or 2-2

It is going to be a tough game but I expect real Madrid to win the match..

correct score 2:2 aguero and debrune to score. Madrid to score first. Madrid to have 2 Yello card.

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Madrid know how to play champions league, but city will know they are playing for probably, for the last time in 3yrs😁😀

k

Football is a distraction

its gonna be very entertaining...

corner over 12.5 @3:00 odds

Ok

Chelsea fan BBQ I use God name beg una make una just keep quiet

65

3-1

Sure .

Bet with your February house rent.

Madrid 1 - 2 man city

Hala Madrid

Let's win this

Vamos!!

Man city go chop banana