Undoubtedly, the main clash of the Champions League knockout stages will start at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. It will see the triumphant winners of the last three Champions League ties. At the end of the 2021/2022 and 2023/2024 seasons Real Madrid won the elite European trophy, and at the end of the 2022/2023 season - Manchester City. A unique and curious fact is that in each of the winning seasons, Real Madrid and Manchester City were sure to knock each other out in the play-offs on their way to the titles. In the last Champions League draw, the Creamers reached the penalty shootout in the return leg of the quarter-final at the Etihad, where they secured the right to play in the semi-finals, and a month and a half later they won the final game of Europe's premier tournament against Borussia Dortmund. Bookmakers have identified the hosts as favourites for the upcoming meeting, offering odds of 2.30 on their victory.

Manchester City at the end of last year experienced one of the most notable crisis periods in its history. Not since the Sheikhs' serious money came into the fold have the Citizens had such helpless weeks and months. Now Guardiola's team has more or less recovered, but the echoes of the crisis can still be felt. In the last three weeks, Manchester City lost to PSG with a score of 2:4, winning 2:0 early in the second half in Paris. In the opening game of February, Guardiola's team was decimated by Arsenal - 5:1. Apparently, bookmakers suggest Manchester City as the favourite for the first meeting for the reason that the "citizens" have won the last four matches at their arena. However, it should be recalled that Chelsea and Brugge, who came to the Etihad in the last two and a half weeks, scored there first and led for some time.

That's not to say Real Madrid look as convincing as they did in last year's play-offs. However, the Cream are leading in the Primera and are not allowing any demoralising series. On Saturday, the royal club played a crucial derby with Atletico Madrid, which ended in a 1-1 draw. It won't be easy for Mbappe and company at the Etihad, but the visitors are quite capable of taking a positive result away from Manchester United.