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Real Madrid v Manchester City
Perhaps, the Round of 16’s most-anticipated tie is that of Real Madrid and Manchester City, with the two European giants clashing for only the fifth time in the competition’s history. And Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane will go head-to-head for the first time as the Catalan will hope to inflict damage on his old rivals.
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City have lost their Premier League crown to Liverpool, who look set to lift the trophy in May. The Blues will now look to make headway in the Champions League, a competition they still have not been able to crack. Guardiola’s appointment in 2016 was largely due to the lack of European trophies in the blue half of Manchester and the former Barcelona boss will look to bring some international glory before he potentially departs at the end of next season.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, know all about winning Europe’s grandest prize but have themselves looked short-handed in the past one-and-a-half seasons without the ever-reliable Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Zidane’s men have turned it up in the second half of this season and are looking favourites to win the La Liga title.
Both teams boast two of the world’s most supreme squads with superstars like Sergio Ramos, Kevin de Bruyne, Karim Benzema, Sergio Aguero, Luka Modric and Raheem Sterling a small quintet of the twenty-two galacticos on-show in this encounter. Both sets of fans will hope that Eden Hazard, Leroy Sane, Gareth Bale and Aymeric Laporte will also return to full fitness ahead of the game.
Given City’s inconsistencies this season and Real’s resurgent form, many will predict the latter to bring back their Champions League mojo in this tie. However, Pep Guardiola could might as well bring a few rabbits out of the hat as Manchester City hunt for their inaugural Champions League title before their two-year ban from the competition.
Prediction: Manchester City
