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Ancelotti will aim to outclass arguably the best manager in the world as Real Madrid take on Manchester City.
The city of Manchester will come alive (not the red half) as Manchester City host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash.
There was nothing to separate both sides when they met at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium last Tuesday.
Vinicius Jnr gave Real Madrid a first half lead with a stunning strike from distance, but Kevin De Bruyne’s similar strike in the second half ensured City left the Bernabeu with a draw.
The Cityzens will feel confident in their chances of knocking out the defending champions at the Etihad as they are the outright favourites.
However, Los Blancos have proven many times that the Champions League is their competition and they should never be counted out.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti would be satisfied with the performance of his side last week, and he would be looking to come up with another perfect game plan to shock Guardiola.
With that said, we will take a look at the three tactics the Italian is likely to employ when the match kicks off.
Contain Haaland’s threat
Erling Haaland is arguably the best striker in the world right now, having scored 49 goals in all competitions for City, including 12 in the Champions League.
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However, Madrid did very well to shut out Haaland. The Norwegian had just tame shots on target and was well-marked throughout 90 minutes.
Ancelotti did not employ any special tactic to mark out Haaland, but Antonio Rudiger was tasked with the mission to man-mark him.
Rudiger did the job perfectly, putting off Haaland with some dirty tactics, sometimes needed against a striker like Haaland.
Real Madrid must be perfect in transition
Considering Manchester City will likely have a lot of the ball, Ancelotti’s men need to utilise the ball well when they receive it in their half.
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10:40 - 10.05.2023
3 Mistakes Guardiola made that denied Man City victory against Real Madrid
The Cityzens were heavy favourites going into the game against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu
One of the things Los Blancos do well more than any other side is their ability to transition from defence to attack perfectly.
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It worked well for them in the first leg, resulting in Vinicius’ goal. Even though they were pegged back by De Bruyne’s stunner, the defending champions put City under pressure with their style of play.
Counter-Attack
In 2014 when Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid came up against Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, Los Blancos delivered a counter-attacking masterclass to reach the final.
Ancelotti may have to employ a similar tactic on Wednesday night if Madrid are to progress again.
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10:45 - 10.05.2023
ANALYSIS Pep Guardiola’s fear cost Manchester City, not Real Madrid’s UCL ‘juju’
Manchester City were not at their fluid best in the 1-1 draw against Real Madrid and it was mostly Pep Guardiola’s fault.
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Man City will be exposed at the back when they go on the attack. Madrid can exploit these spaces when they hit them on the break.
With Vinicius, Rodrygo and Benzema set to form a three-man attack, Madrid definitely have the tools to hurt City on the break.
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