Manchester City will be looking to book their place in the Champions League final when they face Real Madrid in the second-leg of their semi-final encounter at the Etihad Stadium this evening.
Following last week's 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Bernabeu, the tie is finely poised ahead of this evening's concluding part. Kevin De Bruyne earned City a share of the spoils in the Spanish capital last Tuesday, netting a terrific second half equaliser to cancel out Vinicius Jr's effort prior to the break.
The winner of the tie knows that they will face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday, June 10. Inter defeated arch rivals AC Milan 1-0 in the second leg of their semi-final last night, meaning they won the tie 3-0 on aggregate.
READ MORE: How City should line-up vs Real Madrid
City are, of course, still in pursuit of their first-ever Champions League crown and victory over Madrid this evening would keep their hopes of sealing a famous treble this season alive. They are on the cusp of retaining their Premier League crown and will face Manchester United in next month's FA Cup final at Wembley.
Ahead of tonight's big clash with Madrid, who are the reigning Champions League holders, MEN Sport asked an AI engine about how this evening's contest will unfold. Backing City to win 3-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate, this is what they had to say:
Result: Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid
Scorers:
City:
- Phil Foden (10')
- Erling Haaland (35')
- Jack Grealish (85')
Madrid:
- Karim Benzema (20')
- Vinicius Jr (70')
Reasoning for the prediction:
- City have a good record at home in the Champions League this season. They have won all of their home matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding only two goals.
Madrid have been struggling in defence recently. They have conceded ten goals in their last five matches in all competitions.
City have a number of attacking players who are in good form. Foden, Grealish, and Haaland have all been scoring goals recently.
Reasons why Madrid could win:
Madrid are a very experienced team. They have won the Champions League 14 times and they know how to win big matches.
Madrid have a number of dangerous attacking players. Benzema, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo have all been scoring goals recently.
Madrid have a history of winning against the odds in the Champions League. They have come back from 2-0 down to beat Liverpool and also beat Chelsea in the knockout stages this season.
Overall, I think it will be a close match and it is difficult to say who will win. However, I think City have the edge and I am predicting a 3-2 victory for the home side.
This article was crafted with the help of an AI engine, which speeds up Manchester Evening News's editorial research. A MEN editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to newsdesk@men-news.co.uk.
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