Manchester City will be looking to make home ground advantage work when they host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
It’s the match everyone interested in the game will be tuning into.
There’s no advantage – remember away goals is no longer a factor – when the teams kick off the second leg of this most intriguing semi-final.
Vinicius Jr and Kevin de Bruyne traded moments of brilliance to set the tie up at 1-1.
But does it favour the home team?
Two goals and an assist from the in-form Ilkay Gundogan put City within touching distance of the Premier League title as they breezed past Everton 3-0. The title will be theirs if they can get the better of a lacklustre Chelsea next weekend.
It’s fortunate that they don’t have league distractions for this European showdown of epic proportions.
Heading into the leg with a 22-game unbeaten run to protect, Manchester City have incredibly strung together a 15-match winning streak at the Etihad Stadium in all tournaments – scoring at least twice in 14 of those contests – and not since September 2018 have they been beaten in a Champions League match on their own soil.
But Madrid are the kings of the is competition and have Carlo Ancelotti masterminding their next move.
A much-rotated Madrid side beat Getafe 1-0 on Saturday to move back into second place in La Liga. After Ferland Mendy returned to action, manager Carlo Ancelotti thought he would “have the entire squad available” and that he already knows the starting line-up for his record 191st UCL game as a manager.
With all resources to draw upon, he’s aiming for five consecutive Champions League wins over British opposition on foreign soil, although that run only started after they lost 4-3 here last season.
While neutrals would love another similarly entertaining affair, as Los Blancos are seeking their first ever head to head away win (D2, L2), any victory will do for the 14-time champions.
Guardiola has backed Erling Haaland to bounce back after his nil return in the first leg.
“For the first time to go to the Bernabeu, one of the biggest stages, against a top-class club with good defenders, midfielders and strikers, next time will be a little bit easier,” said Guardiola.
“If the team is able to play a little bit better in some departments in the way we are thinking for Wednesday, maybe it would be easier for him.”
Madrid’s Karim Benzema has netted in three of the last four meetings, including two goals in last season’s classic at this ground.