However, even though they have home field advantage in the second leg at 2am (May 18), that does not mean Man City have the right to think about Istanbul, where the final will be held on June 10.
Of course, Man City are entitled to feel a draw in Madrid is a positive result, but Guardiola's side also know from bitter experience that Real are often at their best in the second leg at this stage of the tournament.
Coach Guardiola needs to find a way to help Haaland (left) escape the clutches of Real Madrid defenders
There seems to be something inherent in Man City that makes them their own worst enemy in Europe. The Citizens' lack of control in the first leg only adds to the belief that they could simply lose their cool in the crucial stages of the return leg. Meanwhile, Los Blancos are highly regarded for their composure. That means Real have the experience to prevent a collapse in this match unless Man City score early goals.
Although Militao will return from suspension and Mendy has recovered from injury, they are very good options for coach Ancelotti both in terms of personnel and tactics, but defense is still considered a weak point of Real. While Real had no problem creating chances against Man City, right from the start of the first leg, they were overwhelmed by the opponent's attack. If that continues to happen at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow morning, "Los Blancos" could be pushed into an extremely difficult situation. This is also the reason why Camavinga's health is very important because the team's defense will play better with him in the squad.
In contrast, Man City's defence has been highly rated in the Champions League this season, having conceded just five goals in 11 games so far. However, according to coach Guardiola, compared to the first leg, "we need to defend better in some areas and maybe we need to attack a little differently".
All in all, the Champions League final is very close for Man.City but the time for speeches is over, now they need to show it on the pitch. Meanwhile, while Real's mission is simple - win by any means, in extra time or penalties - achieving it is very complicated.
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