Analysis
Real Madrid are in confident mood but so are Manchester City. The former have their destiny in their own hands. The latter must go the extra mile to stand any chance of securing a spot in the Round of 16. Pressure will play a major role in the game.
Should Los Blancos score first, the home side may end up being all over the place. A draw would be a much better result for Real Madrid. However, Manchester City are going all out for a win. To clinch three good points, they may need to exhibit pure skill and mental power.
In fact, Real Madrid are favourites to win. Firstly, they possess the expertise of Jose Mournho. The former Chelsea boss reads the English game very well.
Secondly, they also have ex-Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo on their side. The Portuguese winger came very close to scoring at several occasions during the weekend. He might finally hit the back of the net on Wednesday. Ronaldo has five goals in the UEFA Champions League already. With the 2012 Ballon d’Or at stake, the star winger looks set to end Lionel Messi’s run of four successive Champions League top scorer titles.
Lastly, Real Madrid will be buoyed by their sensational 3-2 victory over the Citizens in the first leg at the Bernabeu. It will be interesting to see how Roberto Mancini will use Edin Dzeko. The so-called ‘super-sub’ scored against Real Madrid in Spain. He came off the bench against Aston Villa last Saturday but did not add his name to the score sheet. Man City won that match 5-0.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid could turn out to be an awesome encounter for neutrals. Will the Citizens manage to light up their fading candle in the UEFA Champions League?
Manchester City’s last four matches:
November 3, 2012: West Ham United 0-0 Manchester City (EPL)
November 6, 2012 Manchester City 2-2 Ajax (UCL)
November 11, 2012: Manchester City 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (EPL)
November 17, 2012: Manchester City 5-0 Aston Villa (EPL)
Real Madrid’s last four matches
November 3, 2012: Real Madrid 4-0 Real Zaragoza (La Liga)
November 6, 2012: Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund (UCL)
November 11, 2012: Levante 1-2 Real Madrid (La Liga)
November 17, 2012: Real Madrid 5-1 Athletic Bilbao (La Liga)
Table
| UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: GROUP D 2012/2013 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 8 | |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 7 | |
| 3 | Ajax | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Manchester City | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 2 | |
Prediction
Real Madrid will not dare underestimate the potential of Manchester City. The English Premier League champions are not dead yet in Europe. Los Blancos will be keen to avoid a group stage horror. To achieve that, they know they must end the Citizens' Champions League fight on Wednesday night.
Result: Manchester City 2-4 Real Madrid
