Real Madrid vs Manchester City prediction & betting tips: Cityzens can conquer Bernabeu

Manchester City will be hoping to inflict another defeat on Real Madrid on Wednesday when the two sides meet in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu (8pm, TNT Sports 1 & Discovery+).

Xabi Alonso’s side have won just two of their last seven matches, since their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool at the beginning of November.

City, on the other hand, have won seven of their last nine, although they were stunned by Bayer Leverkusen last time out in this competition, losing 2-0 at home.

Real sit fifth in the Champions League table with 12 points from their five games, thanks to wins over Marseille, Kairat Almaty, Juventus and Olympiacos.

Wednesday’s opponents are ninth after three wins, one draw and one defeat from their five games so far. The wins came against Napoli, Villareal and Borussia Dortmund, while they drew away at Monaco.

These two feature among the top five in the Champions League winners odds on betting sites, although the oddsmakers clearly feel like they have something to prove, given their current Champions League odds. Can one of these teams deliver a statement win on Wednesday?

This will be the 15th time Real Madrid and Manchester City have faced each other in the Champions League, and since their first meeting in the 2012-13 season, it is the most-played fixture in the competition during this period.

City have won four, drawn five and lost five of those meetings, including both matches last season, when they were dumped out in the play-off round.

After losing the home leg 3-2, despite Erling Haaland twice giving them the lead, they lost the return leg 3-1 with Kylian Mbappe scoring all three for the home side.

You have to go back to 2020 for the last time City won in Madrid, when late goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne earned them a 2-1 victory.

City boss Pep Guardiola has faced Real 27 times, winning 48 per cent of those matches, and while he’s without a win in his last four matches, the ex-Barcelona boss has never gone five in a row without beating them.

However, this will be the first time he has gone head-to-head with Xabi Alonso, who made 79 appearances under Guardiola when the pair were at Bayern Munich.

Football betting sites are backing City for the win at odds of 6/4 but they will have to be better defensively than they were against Leverkusen, Leeds and Fulham when they conceded a combined nine goals.

Real have scored in 38 consecutive home Champions League games so should get on the scoresheet, but this could be a good time to face Los Blancos off the back of a defeat to Celta Vigo and with Alonso under mounting pressure.

Real Madrid vs Man City prediction 1: City to win & BTTS - 14/5 William Hill

Real striker Kylian Mbappe has scored nine goals in five Champions League games this season, which is the joint-most by a Real Madrid player in their first five appearances in a single season, along with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013-14 as he scored nine.

He has also been involved in eight goals in seven games against City in this competition, netting seven goals and recording one assist. Only Lionel Messi has had a hand in more against the Cityzens, with seven goals and two assists in eight appearances.

The 26-year-old has already scored 30 goals this season, in just 25 games, including nine in his last six for club and country, and he’s no bigger than 20/21 on betting apps to find the back of the net here.

The France star has scored two or more nine times already this season, including four in their last Champions League outing - a 4-3 win away at Olympiacos.

Real Madrid vs Man City prediction 2: Mbappe to score two or more - 9/2 Bet365

Real will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh), Dani Carvajal (knee), Ferland Mendy (hamstring) and Eder Militao (hamstring), while David Alaba (muscular), Eduardo Camavinga (muscular) and Dean Huijsen (muscular) are all doubtful.

City will once again be without Mateo Kovacic (ankle), and Rodri is still a doubt, although he is getting closer to full fitness and a return to action.

Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Raúl Asencio, Rüdiger, Carreras; Arda Güler Tchouaméni, Ceballos, Bellingham; Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, O’Reilly; Nico González; Foden, Reijnders, Bernardo Silva, Doku; Haaland

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