Man City were picked apart by Real Madrid in the first leg, in what was a shock defeat, given that Man City were pre-match favourites. That ended an 11-game unbeaten run for Pep Guardiola’s men, who have it all to do at the Etihad on Tuesday night. 

Man City are not completely out of the contest yet, but they will have to be much better in the second leg. There will be a raucous home atmosphere at the Etihad to try and get their side over the line, but the home fans are used to seeing City win at the Etihad. Prior to their 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, Man City had won seven consecutive games on home turf, which will give them confidence. 

They did also beat Real Madrid in the league phase earlier this season, which will also fill the hosts with belief coming into this clash.

The 2-1 scoreline at the Bernabeu in December really didn’t do them much justice, and they found no issue in carving through Los Blancos. Man City recorded 12 shots worth 2.6 xG, forcing Thibaut Courtois into six saves. 

The Belgian keeper will once again have to be on top form here, as it is likely to be one-way City traffic. Los Blancos haven’t been particularly watertight defensively, but Courtois has been reliable at the back this season, and he is averaging 4.91 saves per game in the Champions League, rising even further to 5.4 when playing away. 

City are averaging 17.5 shots per game at the Etihad, with 7.75 on target. They have forced an average of 4.13 saves per game across all competitions at home this season, rising to an eye-catching 6.5 when playing in the Champions League.

Perhaps Courtois’ best save in the first leg was to deny Nico O’Reilly, who came close after pressing Real Madrid high up the field. He initially started at left back in that match, before being pushed forward into a more advanced role following the introduction of Rayan Ait-Nouri. O’Reilly has been operating in more advanced positions recently, and he has landed this selection in each of his last seven appearances. 

In that stretch, he managed to score a brace against Newcastle in the Premier League, and he also bagged against Fulham. O’Reilly is a massive aerial threat for City, making him a target from set pieces, and he doesn’t hesitate to get into the box from open play either. The 20-year-old strikes the ball cleanly and often looks to try his luck from range. He should be able to pick up some advanced positions against Real Madrid here, which makes this price stand out. 

One of the most impressive things about Real Madrid’s victory was the fact that they did it without Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Vinicius Junior played a massive role as the focal point for Real Madrid, and he was unfortunate not to score in the end. Real Madrid aren’t just going to sit back and take a battering at the Etihad - they will have to try and pose a threat going forward, and Vinicius will be crucial to that. 

The Brazilian international was fouled three times at the Bernabeu, meaning he is averaging 2.0 fouls drawn per 90 in the Champions League this season, and he has landed this selection in each of his last four appearances. Vinicius can thrive when he is isolated on the ball, as he is so good at drawing contact and buying cheap free kicks for his side. 

Man City are going to have to press high up the field, and commit bodies into their attacks. That could leave them a bit exposed on the break, and Rodri is likely to find rules directly against Vinicius. That is a bit of a mismatch, and a cynical foul could well be on the cards for the Spaniard. 

Rodri has had an injury-hit year, and he hasn’t quite been at the same level as he was before. He was sent off against Bodo/Glimt earlier in the Champions League, after picking up two bookings in Norway. Rodri has registered a foul in seven of his last 10 starts across all competitions, which has resulted in two yellows and a red. Rodri picked up a yellow card when he last faced Real Madrid at the Etihad, as he registered two fouls in that match. 

Pep Guardiola could go for a more attack-minded lineup on Tuesday night, and Real Madrid will certainly have to soak up periods of intense pressure from the hosts. Antonio Rudiger is no stranger to some of the dark arts, and he played a pivotal role in locking up Erling Haaland in the first leg, so he should get the nod to start once again here. 

Rudiger has only committed two fouls in his four Champions League appearances this season, but both of those were in the same game, which was against Man City in the league phase, and that was enough to earn him a booking. 

That was his only yellow card of the season so far, but the former Chelsea man will be motivated to eliminate Man City from the Champions League here, and this is likely to be a feisty affair at the Etihad. 

Antoine Semenyo was another player who came close to finding the back of the net for City in the reverse fixture, only to also be denied by Thibaut Courtois. The Ghanaian international was able to find gaps in the Real Madrid defence, and he accounted for two of City’s eight shots. The Bernabeu is a tough stadium to make your Champions League debut, but Semenyo gave a good account of his quality, and he will hope to find more success in the second leg. 

Semenyo has adapted seamlessly to life at Man City, and he has landed this selection in eight of his last nine starts across all competitions. He has scored five goals in that stretch, highlighting how he has been able to regularly find good chances in the final third. He has been deployed more centrally by Pep Guardiola, which has increased his prospects in the final third.