The first-ever edition of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoffs begins on Tuesday, and Manchester City’s clash with Real Madrid serves as the headlining act as the last two winners of the competition face off for a spot in the round of 16.
Manchester City will host the first leg of a consequential tie that comes after both teams struggled during the league phase. Real Madrid were able to turn things around and finished 11th with five wins in eight games, but City snuck into the knockouts by finishing 22nd after winning just three games. Both teams will have plenty to prove over the course of the two-legged tie as they avoid an earlier-than-desired elimination from the Champions League.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
Champions League expert picks, predictions, best bets: Can Manchester City hold off Real Madrid at home?
Pardeep Cattry
How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 11 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Etihad Stadium — Manchester, England
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Manchester City +125; Draw +270; Real Madrid +190
Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.
Storylines
Manchester City: This season has not gone according to plan at all for Manchester City, so much so that Pep Guardiola has already admitted that the Champions League is out of reach for them at this point. That does not mean City have not done anything to change things, though – the club spent over $200 million in the winter transfer window to refresh the squad, and will finally have a chance to roll out a new look in Tuesday’s game against Real Madrid.
City added new players in several key positions, most notably midfielder Nico Gonzalez and forward Omar Marmoush. Gonzalez is expected to help, if not fully resolve, City’s midfield issues while Ballon d’Or winner Rodri continues to recover from an ACL tear, while Marmoush will contribute to the offensive output after Julian Alvarez’s departure and Phil Foden’s inability to repeat last season’s form. This will likely be a trial by fire for a new version of Manchester City, though – Guardiola’s refreshed team has not had a lot of reps together, which adds another layer of intrigue to a make-or-break pair of games that could define City’s season.
Real Madrid: Things have fared better for Real Madrid than they have for Manchester City, but it has not exactly been an easy season for the reigning European champions. Los Blancos are dealing with an injury crisis that has lingered all season long, now leaving them without first-choice center backs Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao for a very consequential pair of games. Aurelien Tchouameni, a natural midfielder, and Raul Asencio, a 21-year-old with just 21 appearances for the first time, are expected to start on Tuesday after playing in a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid over the weekend.
The burden of pulling out a win, as always, will likely fall to Real Madrid’s star-studded offense. The quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham are still delivering at a high rate – each has 10 or more goals across all competitions this season, and Mbappe leads the pack with 23 during his first season with the club. There’s a reasonable argument to be made that Real Madrid has still not maximized their attacking power, though. They have a habit of being wasteful, and on Saturday took 23 shots but only mustered 1.72 expected goals. Which version of Madrid’s attack shows up on Tuesday will be a big question, and perhaps one that defines the tie.
Projected lineups
Manchester City: Ortega, Nunes, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol, Silva, Gonzalez, Foden, Marmoush, Savinho, Haaland
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez, Tchouameni, Asencio, Garcia, Valverde, Ceballos, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe
Prediction
Considering both teams’ up-and-down form, it’s hard to know which way Tuesday’s game will tilt. City’s newcomers could help improve the team’s fortunes, but finding a real edge over Madrid might be too tall a task in the first leg, so a stalemate might be in the cards. Pick: Manchester City 1, Real Madrid 1
Knockout phase playoffs TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
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