Manchester City to take on Los Blancos in Champions League Play Off
Manchester City to face Los Blancos in play-off tie
The first of the Champions League Knockout phase play offs have drawn up a huge tie; Manchester City vs Real Madrid has become a staple in the Europe’s Elite Club Tournament as of late with the teams facing each other four times in the last five years.
A tie often played in the latter stages of the tournaments. Will be seen in the playoffs. Meaning one of the last two previous winners of the competition will be out prior to the round of 16.
8 – Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti have faced each other on eight occasions in the UEFA Champions League. Who are the only two pairs of managers who’ve faced each other more times in the #UCL (9)? Quiz. pic.twitter.com/dqib7Us8LJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 31, 2025
This game will see the two mangers in the Champions League with the most wins face off with Ancelotti’s 121 wins to Pep Guardiola’s 112. Meanwhile the head-to-head record remains tight, with City holding a slight edge—four wins to Real Madrid’s three.
Despite Pep Guardiola’s pedigree his side has faced challenges in the competition. City narrowly made it to the playoff phase with a crucial 3-1 win over Belgian champions Club Brugge – anything less would have seen them eliminated entirely.
Similarly in spite of Real Madrid sitting top of La Liga this season Ancelotti’s men have struggled in Europe with the side losing to the likes of AC Milan, Liverpool, and Lille. A lot of their issues have come due to the lack of defensive options with the likes of Militao, Alaba, Rudiger, and Carvajal all being out for a majority of the season. Only compounded by the issues left by Toni Kroos retiring and trying to add another Galactico to the front line in Mbappe has found Ancelotti lifting his famous eyebrow.
Meanwhile, the fourth placed Premier League side have had an unconventional season with Guardiola going thirteen games with one win and suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Arsenal. Like Madrid, they’ve missed their midfield linchpin, Rodri. However, City’s issues run deeper, with defensive vulnerabilities seen in the side conceding more goals and conceding fast breaks on average compared to his previous seasons.
Guardiola mentioning “I would love to not concede the counterattack, to have more control, but for the absences that we have, we are an old team,”. Without the likes of Kyle Walker who has since joined AC Milan on loan, the backline of City severely lacks in pace and the ability to defend out wide, leaving them very exposed – up against the speed of Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo all of which will be wanting to exploit the channels.
It will remain to be seen whether Guardiola will stick with Nunes who has the pace to track his runners but lacks in defensive judgement. Perhaps deploying a deeper defensive line and opting for a more defensive fullback such as Akanji or Stones may limit their Madrid’s success on the counter.
Adding to the pressure, City faces a daunting fixture list, with upcoming matches against Newcastle, Liverpool, Spurs, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton. A win against Real Madrid would be a huge boost ahead of this demanding schedule and potential will aid them in the chase
The first legs of this fixtures will be played on the 11th February 2025 with Manchester City being the lesser seeded side playing at home first. The second leg being hosted in Madrid on the 19th February 2025.
We’re offering a host of hospitality packages for the Champions League this season at Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Villa. Subject to the teams progression. Further details regarding these fixtures are available at www.vipfootballhospitality.com or you can give us a call on 01454 201210 and we’ll find the best option for you and your group.
