In the first leg at the Etihad, Real Madrid had a dramatic comeback with a score of 3-2 against Man City. They only need a draw at the Bernabeu to qualify for the round of 16. Real's awaiting opponents are Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
In the domestic league, Real's performance is unstable. They have not won their last 3 matches in La Liga and have been surpassed by Barcelona in the rankings. Although not in top form, it is clear that in Europe, Los Blancos are still a formidable force.
Of the 39 previous wins in the first leg of the knockout round away from home in the Champions League, they have only been eliminated twice.
On the contrary, City always showed a tense mentality when having to face Real. The score may be at a disadvantage for Pep Guardiola's team, but at least they had a near perfect warm-up after beating Newcastle 4-0 at the weekend.
New signing Omar Marmoush's impressive hat-trick lit up hope for The Citizens. With a fresh attack, they could surprise Real with Erling Haaland no longer the only threat.
The home team is still rated higher in this match. But their weak defense could make it difficult for them to defend their fragile advantage at the Bernabeu.
Expected lineup
Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Camavinga, Tchouameni; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
Manchester City: Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Gonzalez; Savinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Marmoush; Haaland
