Ilkay Gundogan names four 'brutal' Real Madrid players who can hurt Man City in Champions League

Ilkay Gundogan has warned Manchester City to be wary of Real Madrid in the Champions League as he predicted a more open tie than their previous round against Atletico Madrid.

City had to fight against Atletico to edge a tense tactical battle 1-0 over two legs in a tie that descended into chaos late on as the Spaniards lost their heads at the Wanda Metropolitano. Meanwhile, Real needed extra time to stave off a spirited Chelsea fightback after they had beaten Paris Saint-Germain in dramatic style in the last-16.

Previewing the semi-final, Gundogan said Real will offer a different proposition than Atletico, and they have four players in particular for City to be mindful of.

ALSO READ:Ilkay Gundogan speaks on Erling Haaland future amid Man City transfer interest

"It's definitely a real hit. Whoever gets the better of PSG and Chelsea is bound to be a tough nut to crack," he told Sport1 of the semi-final.

"But we are aware of that anyway. It's a brutal squad standing there on the pitch - Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, who have all been performing consistently at an incredibly high level for what feels like an eternity, Vinicius Junior, who is playing very well, especially this season. I think we can expect a much more attacking game than against Atlético."

Regarding Benzema specifically, who scored the crucial goals to secure passage against PSG and Chelsea, Gundogan echoed teammate Rodri in stating that the Frenchman is at the very peak of his career this season.

He said: "For me, Benzema is currently the best striker in the world alongside Robert Lewandowski. He's two-footed, strong in the air. I think he's been underestimated too often in the past - and now he's teaching his critics wrong.

"For a long time he was