Manchester City vs Real Madrid Predictions

• Eight of City’s previous nine have featured four or more goals
• The hosts have seen over 3.5 goals in six of their last seven Champions League matches
• Real Madrid have scored three or more goals in six of their last eight trips
• Rodrygo has netted four goals in his last five meetings with City

Doubts around both sides

Manchester City edged past Leyton Orient in the FA Cup at the weekend, but that narrow win did little to ease their issues this season. The Citizens are off the pace in the Premier League and barely made it through the first round of the Champions League. That’s led to Real getting a lot of backing for this visit to the Etihad, but the European champions have their own issues.

The Spaniards have a lot of heavyweight talent, but their record in big games this season is an issue. Real have failed to win any of their clashes with La Liga’s top four, including a 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona.

That heavy loss was followed by their 5-2 thumping at Barca’s hands in the Super Cup last month. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were fortunate to beat Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart at home, while they suffered defeats to Lille, Liverpool and AC Milan in the previous round. Despite City’s low ebb, they can cause problems for Real on Tuesday.

Target pair’s defensive frailties

Real Madrid going all-in on Kylian Mbappe was a no-brainer, but it did hamper their ability to strengthen their backline last summer. They were left with a lack of depth in a back four packed with potential injury issues. That saw them start Saturday’s derby with Atletico Madrid with a back four of Lucas Vazquez, central midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, 21-year-old Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia.

Manchester City’s forward line should be able to find plenty of joy, but their 5-1 hammering at Arsenal showed what happens when quality teams get at their defence.

City’s combination of attacking threat and defensive weaknesses has led to over 3.5 goals landing in eight of their previous nine. Their Champions League campaign has been littered with high-scoring contests, including a 4-2 loss at PSG and a 3-3 draw at home to Feyenoord. Overall, six of City’s last seven matches in Europe have featured four goals or more.

These two sides can put on a show

Pep Guardiola has resisted the urge to change his style in spite of City’s routine defensive collapses. As for Real, their top-heavy squad doesn’t suggest they can take on a more conservative style.

The visitors have scored at least three times in six of their previous eight away trips, while they’ve scored 11 goals in their last three Champions League outings. Their defensive collapses against Barcelona – along with European defeats to Liverpool, AC Milan and Lille – point to issues for Real at the other end.

Ultimately, these two sides have brilliant attacking options but clearly lack players in the middle of the park to take control of the game. That should result in more goals for both sides, so back over 3.5 here alongside a 3-3 draw, which landed in the first leg in Madrid last season.