Since the beginning of the season, Real Madrid has often emphasized that La Liga is still the main goal of the club. But it cannot be denied that the Champions League has never been a secondary target for the royal team.
The 3-2 advantage in the first leg played a supporting role for coach Carlo Ancelotti and his team. However, they face a mysterious Man City led by Pep Guardiola. The Spanish coach is still constantly thinking and adjusting, not only to turn the tables but also to save a season that did not pass as expected.
Back to Santiago Bernabeu, a fragile 1-goal gap, but City's chances are declining. Los Blancos have always performed well in the knockout round of the European Cup. Once they have won the first leg away from home, they rarely miss that advantage.
Of the 39 first away wins in the knockout round, Real have only been eliminated twice. That was against Odense in the UEFA Cup 1994-1995 and Ajax in the round of 16 of the 2018-2019 Champions League.
Meanwhile, Man City often struggled to come back after losing the first leg at the Etihad. The only time they did this was in the UEFA Cup 2008-2009, when they lost to Midtjylland at home but won back in Denmark on penalties.
All statistics are almost on the home team's side. In recent European tournaments, City have been inconsistent away from home. In the last 38 away matches, The Citizens have won 20, drawn 10 and lost 8.
However, this season has been more difficult, with easily unbeaten defeats against Sporting CP (1-4), Juventus (0-2) and Paris Saint-Germain (2). A series of three away losses in the Champions League is something they have not experienced since 2012.
In contrast, the Bernabeu is a solid support for Real Madrid in European competitions. They have won 20 of their last 27 home games, with 4 draws and just 3 losses.
This season, they stumbled in the group stage when they suffered a 1-3 defeat to AC Milan. Before that defeat, Ancelotti's army went 16 unbeaten matches at home, with 13 wins and 3 draws. Their strength at the Bernabeu has continued to be proven since the beginning of the season, with 13 goals in 3 matches against Stuttgart (3-1), Borussia Dortmund (5-2) and Salzburg (5-1).
With the momentum of victory from the first leg at the Etihad, Real Madrid entered the second leg with great confidence.
However, the possibility of a reversal of the situation still exists. According to The Athletic, Madrid members consider the play-off round with City as an early final. Ancelotti's coaching staff understands that Pep Guardiola is a person that is very difficult to analyze.
The lineup and system he used in the weeks before the clash with Real were constantly swapped. Although the English representative only won once when meeting Los Blancos under Pep Guardiola, the results were all very close.
If they lose to The Citizens, Madrid will lose their second title of the season, after losing in the Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona in January 2025. That is no different from a disaster for Real's class and stature.
