Champions League: Real Madrid prepare to face Man City in semis return leg

By IANS

MADRID: Real Madrid travelled to Manchester on Tuesday for their season-defining Champions League semifinal return leg away to Manchester City.

The 1-1 draw from the first leg leaves the tie finely balanced, with City perhaps slight favourites, but Real Madrid’s skill and pace on the break means they will step onto the pitch at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night thinking they have every chance of reaching yet another final.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side may have won the European Supercup and the World Club Cup this season and then followed those tournaments up with the Copa del Rey after beating Osasuna in the final. However, they were well beaten in the Spanish Supercup by FC Barcelona and on Sunday saw how Barca assured La Liga with four games left to play, reports Xinhua. 

Ancelotti will probably be safe whatever Wednesday’s result is and he has done a good job to build a side that has a clear style of play, which is able to dominate smaller teams and hit others on the break with the pace of Vinicius Jr, Fede Valverde and Rodrygo.

However, Madrid President, Florentino Perez is notoriously capricious and at a club where second place is seen as a failure, a bad defeat on Wednesday would ask a few questions of Ancelotti’s future.

Getting ready for @ManCity!
#UCL
 

— Real Madrid C.F.

<br /> MADRID: Real Madrid travelled to Manchester on Tuesday for their season-defining Champions League semifinal return leg away to Manchester City.</p> <p>The 1-1 draw from the first leg leaves the tie finely balanced, with City perhaps slight favourites, but Real Madrid’s skill and pace on the break means they will step onto the pitch at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night thinking they have every chance of reaching yet another final.</p> <p>Carlo Ancelotti’s side may have won the European Supercup and the World Club Cup this season and then followed those tournaments up with the Copa del Rey after beating Osasuna in the final. However, they were well beaten in the Spanish Supercup by FC Barcelona and on Sunday saw how Barca assured La Liga with four games left to play, reports Xinhua. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Ancelotti will probably be safe whatever Wednesday’s result is and he has done a good job to build a side that has a clear style of play, which is able to dominate smaller teams and hit others on the break with the pace of Vinicius Jr, Fede Valverde and Rodrygo.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.86.1 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad843 " id="quads-ad843" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.86.1 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="4374041191"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>However, Madrid President, Florentino Perez is notoriously capricious and at a club where second place is seen as a failure, a bad defeat on Wednesday would ask a few questions of Ancelotti’s future.</p> <p>Getting ready for @ManCity!#UCL<br />  <br /> — Real Madrid C.F.<br />