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English champions Manchester City will welcome soon-to-be-crowned Spanish champions Real Madrid for their Champions League semi-final first-leg clash on Tuesday night (26 April).
City, who have never won Europe's premier club tournament, overcame Atletico Madrid (1-0 on aggregate) in the quarter-finals to move into the last four. Madrid, on the other hand, got the better of holders Chelsea (5-4 on aggregate) to make it into the semi-finals.
Both teams have performed admirably over the course of the 2021-22 campaign and have no shortage of difference-makers. Under the floodlights at the Etihad Stadium, we are certain to see some mouth-watering tussles that could very well define the course of the tie.
Hours before the showdown, we will take a quick look at some key matchups that could headline the first leg in Manchester tonight.
Now, without further ado, let’s check out the five battles that could tip the scales one way or the other in City’s backyard:
#5 Ederson vs Thibaut Courtois
Manchester City and Real Madrid have an abundance of attack-minded players at their disposal. Both teams boast footballers who can manifest match-defining moments out of thin air.
The defenders, of course, are going to do their best, but it could very well come down to the goalkeepers to save the day.
Los Blancos’ first-choice shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois has saved them numerous times over the course of the season, both in La Liga and in the Champions League. Domestically, he has faced 107 shots on target, making 79 saves. In Europe, the Belgian has only conceded nine times, despite facing 48 shots on target.
Although Ederson has not made as many saves as Courtois, he, too, has been quite reliable. In the Premier League, the Brazilian custodian has had to deal with 72 shots on target so far, conceding 21 times. Meanwhile, Ederson has conceded eight goals and made 11 saves in nine Champions League matches so far.
It will be interesting to see which goalkeeper comes out on top in Tuesday night's mouth-watering clash.
#4 Rodri vs Toni Kroos
Manchester City’s defensive midfielder Rodri is set to butt heads with Real Madrid’s ever-reliable Toni Kross at the Etihad tonight.
The former Atletico Madrid midfielder is an interceptor of space, with a knack for striking the perfect balance between attack and defense. He shields the backline ever so well and does not hesitate to dash forward whenever an opportunity presents itself. In many ways, he is the backbone of Manchester City and could meet his match in Kroos.
Real Madrid's No. 8 is all about efficiency. He can play around the press, circulate the ball to set the tempo, and often charges forward to have a go at goal from range.
The German thrives when he has space to exploit and it would be up to City’s Rodri to deny him the freedom in Manchester.
#3 Riyad Mahrez vs Ferland Mendy
Riyad Mahrez has arguably been Manchester City’s best attacking player this season. Courtesy of his pace and creativity, the Algerian has dominated the right-wing with ease.
He rarely makes mistakes while pressing the opposition and does not seem to hesitate when asked to drop down and defend. In 42 appearances across competitions, he has scored 23 goals, with six coming in the Champions League alone. Unsurprisingly, Mahrez is the club's top scorer in all competitions in the current campaign.
Stopping Mahrez is certainly no joke, and it could be an even tougher ordeal for Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy, who has just returned from injury.
The Frenchman is a quick and efficient defender who can mark tightly until the last blast of the whistle. Whether he is fit enough to keep pace with the Manchester City right-winger remains to be seen.
#2 Luka Modric vs Kevin De Bruyne
Two of the world’s best midfielders, Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne, will square up at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Both players are capable of producing moments of magic from midfield and are expected to make a tangible impact in the first leg.
De Bruyne, who has been deployed in an advanced position by Pep Guardiola, is likely to have a go at Real Madrid’s backline every chance he gets. His impact could be even more prominent if Casemiro does not manage to pass the fitness test for tonight’s fixture, with the Brazilian struggling with a muscle injury.
Luka Modric, on the other hand, is more of an all-rounder. Operating on the right side of midfield, Modric covers for right-back Dani Carvajal when the Spaniard charges forward and also puts inviting crosses into the area.
Like De Bruyne, the 36-year-old also loves to shoot from range and has bagged some invaluable goals that way.
#1 Karim Benzema vs Ruben Dias
Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema hardly needs an introduction. Not only has he scored seven goals in his last three Champions League games, but he’s also the leading scorer (25) and assist provider (11) in La Liga.
With 39 goals and 13 assists in 40 games across competitions, the Frenchman is arguably the most in-form player in the world right now.
Last season’s 'Premier League Player of the Year', Ruben Dias, will be one of the men responsible for keeping Benzema quiet on Tuesday night.
The Portuguese defender is an excellent reader of the game and generally makes no mistake in closing down opponents.
Against the 34-year-old French striker, the centre-back must proceed with extra caution and make it a point not to afford Benzema any space.
Even the tiniest of slip-ups could prove to be fatal against the Real Madrid skipper, who bagged hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the previous rounds.
Also Read: Michael Owen predicts the result of UCL clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid
