MANCHESTER CITY will be out to banish their Bernabeu demons when they take on Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, looking to take another step towards their Holy Grail.
Pep Guardiola's men looked set to reach a second successive final last term as they led 5-3 on aggregate heading into the last minute of the second leg in Spain.
But an incredible finale saw Rodrygo net twice to take the semi-final to extra time before Karim Benzema's penalty took the Spanish giants to the showpiece, where they beat Liverpool to lift the trophy for a 14th time.
Manchester City still haven't got their hands on Europe's biggest prize but they've been favourites with the bookies all season and now have the missing piece of the jigsaw in Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian was unusually profligate in the weekend win over Leeds but a double from Ilkay Gundogan still made it 15 wins in 16 games for Guardiola's slick side, with only a meaningless equaliser late on in the quarter-final against Bayern stopping that from being 16 successive victories.
Real Madrid's form is less impressive heading into the semi-final, with two of their last four games ending in defeat. They were also made to sweat by Osasuna before winning the Copa Del Rey at the weekend and have surrendered their La Liga crown to Barcelona without much of a fight.
But Carlo Ancelotti's men have saved their best for Europe again and, just like last season's run to glory, have made a habit of swatting Premier League teams aside.
Liverpool were crushed 6-2 on aggregate then Chelsea battered 4-0 so there won't be any sense of inferiority as the European champions square up to the Champions League favourites.
How the bookies view it
Manchester City are heavy favourites to qualify, with their best price just 4/11 with Ladbrokes. Real Madrid look overpriced at 5/2 with Bet365 given Guardiola has previous when it comes to overthinking and trying something different for crunch games in Europe.
For a win on the night in Spain, Man City's price is bigger at 13/10 with BetUK but they are still favourites because the Bernabeu giants are 11/5 at Coral and the draw pays 34/17 with VBet.
Head to head
These sides have faced off eight times in Europe and it's honours even, with three wins apiece and two draws. Only one of those Manchester City victories has come at the Bernabeu, a 2-1 triumph in 2020 that helped them advance to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Players to watch
Rodrygo was Real Madrid's saviour in last season's semi-final and he netted another double at the weekend to win the Copa Del Rey and bring up a bet for our man Gabriel. The Brazilian hasn't been a regular in Champions League games but should start here and is 9/2 at SkyBet for anytime scorer.
Guardiola will be looking for Haaland to make the difference in the biggest game of Manchester City's season. Our man Mark cashed in by backing the Norwegian for a goal in Munich and he's a tempting 21/20 at SportingIndex for another strike in Spain, with Bet365's price a little smaller at 20/21.
Anything else catch the eye?
Games between these sides have been thrillers in recent years, with BTTS and over 2.5 goals landing in the last four meetings. First legs can often be cagey but I'd be surprised if this match was dull and the bookies are banking on more thrills. Both teams to score is just 8/13 at BetUK while over 2.5 strikes is 8/11 at VBet. There's more value in backing most goals to come after the break, which pays evens at Paddy Power.
Antonio Rudiger should start in defence for Real Madrid with Eder Militao suspended and the former Chelsea stopper will have a fascinating battle with Haaland. It should get physical and that makes the German a decent option for a card at 7/2 with Unibet.
Vinicius Junior will be a good outlet for Ancelotti down the left and looks good value at 19/20 with Unibet just to have a shot on target. The evens on offer at SkyBet for the Brazilian to be caught offside over 0.5 times also appeals.
This UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City will be played on May 9, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Real Madrid vs Manchester City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
