A slight advantage for Man City

However, even with the home advantage in the second leg at 2 AM (May 18th), that doesn't mean Man City can start thinking about Istanbul, where the final will be held on June 10th.

Of course, Man City have the right to feel that a draw in Madrid is a positive result, but Guardiola's side also know very well from their bitter experience that Real often reach their best form in the second leg at this stage of the tournament.

Coach Guardiola needs to find a way to help Haaland (left) escape the marking of Real Madrid's defenders.

There seems to be something inherent in Man City that makes them their own worst enemy in European competitions. The fact that "The Citizens" failed to control the game in the first leg only reinforces the belief that they might simply lose their composure in the crucial second leg. Meanwhile, "Los Blancos" are highly regarded for their composure. This means Real have the experience to prevent a collapse in this match unless Man City score many goals early on.

Although Militao's return after suspension and Mendy's recovery from injury are excellent options for coach Ancelotti in terms of both personnel and tactics, defense remains a weakness for Real. While Real had no problem creating chances against Man City, they were overwhelmed by their opponents' attack from the very beginning of the first leg. If this continues at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow morning, "Los Blancos" could be pushed into an extremely difficult situation. This is also why Camavinga's fitness is crucial, as the team's defense will perform better with him in the lineup.

Conversely, Man City's defense has been highly rated in this season's Champions League, conceding only 5 goals in 11 games so far. However, according to manager Guardiola, compared to the first leg, "we need to defend better in some areas and perhaps we need to attack a little differently."

In general, the Champions League final is very close for Man City, but the time for rhetoric is over; now they need to show it on the pitch. Meanwhile, while Real's task is simple – win by any means necessary, including extra time or penalties – achieving it is much more complicated.

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