Five-goal thriller with late drama - Man City vs Real Madrid simulated to predict Champions League clash

A victory of any kind will secure Manchester City's spot in the Champions League semi-finals when they take on Real Madrid in the quarter-final second leg tonight.

A thriller in Madrid last week saw City head back to Manchester with the tie all square, with great goals from Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol helping City earn a 3-3 draw at the Bernabeu. All City need to do is beat Real Madrid tonight to book their place in the semi-final, but it's easier said than done.

Pep Guardiola's side haven't lost at home in the Champions League since suffering a 3-1 loss to Lyon back in 2020, with the last meeting between City and Real at the Etihad ending in an emphatic 4-0 win for the hosts. City enter the clash in high spirits after a perfect weekend in the Premier League, with Guardiola's side beating Luton Town 5-1 to go top of the league before Liverpool and Arsenal were both beaten.

So, can City book their spot in the Champions League semi-finals? Let's take a look.

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To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 24 and updated both squads with the latest injuries and suspensions. We predict that City could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Grealish.

We predict that Los Blancos could set up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.

After a tense opening 20 minutes that saw both sides create some big chances, it was Real