Real Madrid and Manchester City's rivalry in the Champions League knockout stage has recently become almost traditional, and this time it began in Madrid. The English club went there as the favorite in the latest showdown. The confidence of Manchester City fans was boosted by the abundance of injured players in the reigning champions' squad, as well as purely on-pitch problems tied to the managerial carousel in Madrid in 2025–2026. However the match turned out to be as good as it could be for Álvaro Arbeloa's team. Even better than the most optimistic fans of the 'Blancos' expected. In the first half, Federico Valverde's superb display gave Real Madrid a three-goal lead, which held until the final whistle. It should be noted that in the second half in the Spanish capital the situation could have shifted a bit in either direction. However, in one case Vinícius failed to convert a penalty he earned himself; in the other — Nico O'Reilly shot into an empty net after a defender's blunder, but Thibaut Courtois somehow managed to react. Bookmakers set the home side as favourites for the forthcoming match, offering odds of 1.44 on their victory. Manchester City expresses serious intentions for the return leg. Undoubtedly, Pep Guardiola has in his squad excellent players who are no worse than those from Madrid. On Saturday Manchester City shot 24 times at West Ham's goal, allowing the opponent to shoot at their goal only once. The final score of 1-1 testifies to Manchester City's total misfortune. However this cannot last long. Guardiola is an excellent motivator, and the scariest thing for Manchester City's players already happened last week. Now they will either become heroes, or there will be an exit from the Champions League, which after a 0-3 scoreline would not surprise anyone. In this regard, Real Madrid's task in Manchester does not look easy. Especially considering that Álvaro Arbeloa still cannot count on injured Rodrygo, Mendy, Mbappé, Fernández, Éder Militao, Bellingham, Sebalosa, Asensio and Alaba. From such a depleted squad, it is quite possible to assemble a full side capable of winning the Champions League. Let's bet on a convincing home victory for the hosts.