Three key battles that will determine Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid was named Spanish champions between the setback and tomorrow night’s game. Their 4-0 victory over Espanyol assured that they would retake La Liga, scoring a record 35th league victory.
Meanwhile, in the far West of Europe, Man City, the defending Premier League winners and current league leaders, triumphed 0-4. Their victory at Elland Road came against a struggling Leeds United side, regaining their lead at the top of the table.
Matches like the one between Real Madrid and Manchester City are won by razor-thin margins. Kevin de Bruyne and Karim Benzema are the stars of their respective teams, and they performed admirably in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Join us as we look at three individual clashes that will define the game.
Kevin de Bruyne vs. Casemiro
Carlos Casemiro was notably absent from last week’s match between Manchester City and Real Madrid. The presence of the Brazilian in the center of midfield always gives Real Madrid an advantage; nevertheless, in his absence, his squad lacked the essential structure to repel their opponents’ attacks.
Casemiro is fully refreshed and ready to face the Citizens on his home grounds now that he is back in his team’s chemistry. One of the most important challenges he’ll face tomorrow night is against Kevin de Bruyne
The Belgian international is often regarded as the best midfielder in the world, and containing him will go a long way toward ensuring success.
When it comes to breaking the flow of a game, Casemiro is one of the top players in the world. And he’ll be tasked with doing the same against De Bruyne.
Casemiro, who is notorious for his hard-hitting fouls, should provide the same kind of ferocity tomorrow night. The Belgian is capable of doing almost anything from virtually any place.
On the other hand, Bruyne might take advantage of the fact that Casemiro is far from the most unusual passer in the world. The Brazil international frequently struggles to move possession, making blunders that a player in his position should not make.
The Real Madrid number 14 has had a difficult season, and if he can successfully escape the onslaught, the Man City captain may have a field day.
De Bruyne can induce blunders from Casemiro when he is not in possession. His lack of comfort on the ball, as indicated above, could be his undoing tomorrow night.
De Bruyne’s pressuring, along with Manchester City’s collective mastery of positional play, means that Casemiro’s blunders on the ball might result in an easy reversal of possession, resulting in Real Madrid’s collective downfall.
The victor of this titanic encounter provides the other complete access to their respective attack. As a result, it will be critical for both players to perform at their peak if they are to avoid allowing goals.
Dani Carvajal vs. Phil Foden
Few, if any, people can say Dani Carvajal has had a good season. The Spanish right-back has struggled to retain both fitness and form at times.
The Brazilian has committed errors that are uncharacteristic of someone with his experience in a substantial portion of his games this season.
Meanwhile, Phil Foden is having a fantastic season for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The English International is essentially a one-man team.
He contributes to the City team’s general inventiveness through dribbling, shooting, passing, and moving into space. It should come as no surprise that his boss considers him to be the most talented person he has ever coached.
If Foden earns this much acclaim, Real Madrid’s adoration should be greater. He’s just a footballer who can’t be left out of anyone’s sight for fear of wreaking havoc on their defense.
Last season, Liverpool was the hapless victim of his enticing football, and if Real Madrid does not take precautions, they could be the next on his ever-expanding list.
Carvajal has suffered throughout the season, but if Real Madrid is to win tomorrow night, he must overcome the demons that have haunted him thus far.
This specific duel will determine whether Manchester City scores or Real Madrid keeps a clean sheet. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus will have fewer chances in front of the goal if their wing strength is reduced.
Kyle Walker vs. Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Junior is without a doubt having the best season he could have asked for. The Brazilian International has more than tripled its performance from the previous season.
He only scored six goals in the previous season, but he has already surpassed that total in the current season, while nearly tripling his assist total from the previous season to 15.
Vinicius had a fantastic first-leg performance against Manchester City. Given the injuries to Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker on the left-wing, Pep Guardiola chose to deploy Fernandinho.
On his way to scoring against the defending Premier League champions, the Brazilian international made a dirty nutmeg on his national team opponent and followed it up with a nice finish.
According to reports, Kyle Walker is nearly totally recovered from his recent injury and could play against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola confirmed on Tuesday that he practiced with the squad and will fly to Madrid with the Citizens.
If he does end up facing the Brazilian, the entire nature of the contest changes. Walker is one of the world’s fastest fullbacks, depending on his level of fitness.
Against an explosive winger like Vinicius, the Englishman’s recovery rate will be critical. If Kyle Walker wins this match, Karim Benzema will have a little less assistance.
As recently as Saturday, the two combined for the Frenchman’s 26th league goal of the season, and Benzema has been explosive on his own, so neutralizing any support for him will go a long way toward enhancing City’s chances of reaching the final in Paris.
If the Galacticos are to make a title drive in search of their 14th Champions League trophy, they will have to rely on City’s number two’s performance not being at its peak and their Brazilian’s performance being at its peak.
