In the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals, Real Madrid hosted Manchester City in a heated contest that took center stage. The Galacticos had just experienced the Copa Libertadores final and the players were physically exhausted, while City had adapted to the rhythm of playing on multiple fronts. In order to hold their ground, City will have to perform well in the first leg, and they have shown a solid defensive style by scoring no more than two goals in their last four UEFA away matches. As a result, the smaller 2.5 goal margin makes this a betting option to keep an eye on. (Now 643 live at 3am on Wednesday)
The two teams met in last season's UEFA Europa League quarterfinals, with the two-legged match tied 5-5 in regulation time, before Real Madrid eliminated City from the final and were eventually crowned champions thanks to a penalty shootout from Binschmar in extra time.
The two teams meet again this season, with Real Madrid recently focusing on cup competitions, having just won the Copa del Rey final with a 2-1 victory over Osasina. In the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League, they have already eliminated Liverpool and Chelsea, the two strongest teams in the Premier League, in consecutive matches. Coach Anzalotti has a lot of experience in dealing with the style of play of Premier League teams. In the last six matches against Premier League teams, the teams under his leadership have all won in regular time, and this time, he will have a targeted strategy to face a strong Premier League team like Manchester City.
