Real Madrid – Manchester City: Winner Takes All At The Etihad (1-1)

The two contestants in this duel are masters of very different crafts. They produced a tight clash in which the goals did not align with phases of supremacy, and efficiency might be the decider.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Manchester City continue to add to their continental clout. It is the third year in a row the club have reached the final four of the Champions League. The exit of Bayern Munich in the previous round exhibited how these upstarts have started to feel at home with the traditional elite on this stage. But one giant still commands the respect of every adversary. The heavyweight half of the knockout stage bracket took back Pep Guardiola to his latest site of anguish and a stadium synonymous with royalty.

Real Madrid remain the kings of the continent— and have excelled in the do-or-die cauldron of cup competition. A 2-1 win over Osasuna marked the first triumph in the final of the Copa del Rey since the first reign of Carlo Ancelotti in 2014. In those nine years, the Champions League has adorned their cabinet five times— the first and last of which are the handiwork of their current manager.