Man City called, Real Madrid answered. And answered boldly with a rather leisurely walk with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at the Bernabeu. Both have proven their superior class and status as the top two candidates for the Champions League 2022/23.
From past relationships…
With the current situation, there is only a shocking scenario to help Chelsea and Bayern come back in the second leg a week later. If yesterday morning, Pep Guardiola’s team showed close to the perfect threshold of a winning machine, then this morning Carlo Ancelotti’s army also proved that their Champions League DNA is always what works. so the difference.
Therefore, it can be said that even if the return leg has not taken place, fans still hope to have a dream rematch between Real and Man City in the semi-finals of Europe’s most prestigious playground. This can be seen as an early final between the two top candidates for the noble crown.
In the past, both teams have had 8 encounters with equal wins and losses for each side: 3 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats. However, in terms of the final result, the optimism is in favor. Real.
The first time the two teams met was in the table of the 2012/13 season. Real won 3-2 in the first leg, drew 1-1 in the second leg. Along with Group D, Real won the ticket to continue with the second place after Dortmund, while Man City ranked bottom of the table and did not even have a ticket to play in the Europa League.
In the 2015/16 season, the two teams clashed in the semi-finals, Real won with a total score of 1-0 after 2 matches by Fernando’s own goal. Then Real won. In the 2019/20 season, Man City defeated Real in the 1/8 round with a 2-1 victory in both matches, but also stopped in the quarterfinals against Lyon in a special season because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
And in the 2021/22 season, Real won miraculously with a total score of 6-5 in the semi-finals to then win the championship. It is the “unlawful affair” of the two teams that people are waiting for the reunion between them in the semi-finals this year. It promises to be a climax, as Ancelotti takes on Guardiola; Karim Benzema “fights” with Erling Haaland and De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva competes with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos.
Not many coaches can beat Pep on the bench. But Carletto is one of them. The Italian military leader has won 3 times against his Spanish colleague and lost only once. When Pep led Bayern, and Ancelotti held Real, they clashed in the two semi-finals of the Champions League 2013/14 and the victory in both matches belonged to the Spanish Royal team.
Until last season, Carletto won 1 and lost 1. Will this rematch, Pep will narrow the gap or “indebtedness”? Obviously, the battle between two of the best strategists in the world right now is very much awaited.
The dream semi-final is also the top match between the top two strikers Benzema vs Haaland. Not placed in the middle of the perfect system like a machine at Man City like the Norwegian striker, but the keen sense and bravery to shine in big matches make a difference in the way the striker plays. France.
Not as brilliant as last season because of interwoven injuries, but Benzema is returning and continues to assert his leading role in the attack of Los Blancos. Haaland is leading the list of top scorers (11 goals) and has just contributed 1 goal for Man City to destroy Bayern 3-0, and Big Benz has also scored for Real to beat Chelsea.
In that summit reunion, the fans are still waiting for the “stepping steps, the ability to set up the army” in the midfield with the top midfielders of the two teams. On the Real side, it is a combination of experience, talent and people who understand each other to the very bottom of Modric – Kroos. Confronting them is the creative duo De Bruyne – Silva of Man City.
Which duo will help the home team tear apart the opponent’s defense, if Real and Man City rematch in the Champions League semi-finals this season?