After delivering probably the most memorable knockout matches within the UEFA Champions League’s latest historical past, Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid face off once more on Wednesday with a spot within the semifinals on the road.

The tie is arguably probably the most high-profile of the Champions League quarterfinals because it options the competitors’s final two undefeated sides. Each are additionally using a excessive of their home leagues the place they every sit atop the desk and hope so as to add a Champions League trophy to their end-of-season haul. The similarities would possibly finish there, although, since Metropolis have been the image of consistency in Europe this season whereas Actual Madrid have virtually gotten away with common performances all through their run to the final eight.

It units up for a second leg filled with intrigue because the European heavyweights purpose to keep away from their earliest Champions League exits in 4 years. Here is what it is advisable know earlier than tuning in.

Methods to watch and odds

• Date: Wednesday, April 17 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Etihad Stadium — Manchester, England
• TV: CBS | Dwell stream: Paramount+
• Odds: Manchester Metropolis -155; Draw +320; Actual Madrid +390

What occurred within the first leg

The groups come into the second leg on even footing after a dramatic 3-3 attract Madrid final week. Metropolis’s Bernardo Silva scored inside the first two minutes however Actual Madrid have been up 2-1 by the 14th minute because of an personal purpose from Ruben Dias and a strike from Rodrygo. Phil Foden started Metropolis’s comeback together with his fourth purpose in three video games halfway via the second half, and Josko Gvardiol gave his facet the lead with probably the most gorgeous strike of the sport within the 71st minute. Fernando Valverde, although, equalized simply eight minutes later to make it 3-3.

How they acquired right here

Manchester Metropolis: The reigning champions have breezed via the Champions League up till the quarterfinals, successful all however final week’s first leg. They’ve scored 27 targets in 9 matches to date, completely averaging three targets a sport to date with Erling Haaland accounting for six of them and Foden proper behind him with 5. They simply topped a gaggle that included RB Leipzig, Younger Boys and Crvena Zvezda and cruised via a spherical of 16 tie with Copenhagen with a 6-2 combination win.

That unimaginable goalscoring skill has allowed them to outlive the considerably porous protection they’ve had this season. They’ve conceded 12 targets throughout their nine-game run to date, joint most for quarterfinalists with Paris Saint-Germain.

Actual Madrid: The factor about this Actual Madrid group is that their inconsistencies are on full show, and but they by some means sneakily eke out a win with restricted hand-wringing. They topped a gaggle with Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin with an eight-point hole between first and second place, however narrowly beat RB Leipzig 2-1 on combination within the spherical of 16.

Whereas goalscorers like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham have performed an enormous position of their run to the quarterfinals, Carlo Ancelotti’s facet have been pretty wasteful in assault this season. They rank amongst the highest three of Champions League groups in a handful of attacking classes however rank twentieth when it comes to shots-on-goal share with simply 32.9% of their pictures hitting the body.

Do not miss CBS Sports activities Golazo Community’s Morning Footy, now in podcast kind! Our crew brings you all of the information, views, highlights and laughs it is advisable observe the Stunning Sport in each nook of the globe, each Monday-Friday all yr lengthy.

Storylines

Manchester Metropolis: Metropolis’s successful streak in European play ended due largely to an unusually prolific scoring day from each groups, who every generated lower than one anticipated purpose every. The glass-half-full argument is that it means Metropolis’s star-studded assault shall be up for the duty, whatever the high quality of their pictures and particularly as they enter their habitually environment friendly end-of-season run. The glass-half-empty outlook, although, means Metropolis will have to be vigilant since Madrid include their very own high-profile offensive unit.

The excellent news for Metropolis is that they’ve not likely taken their foot off the gasoline in latest weeks. They’ve 16 targets of their final 5 video games throughout all competitions, with Foden scoring 4 of them and Haaland and Gvardiol registering two every. Pep Guardiola will even have the enhance of Kevin de Bruyne’s presence this week since he missed out with sickness every week in the past, but when one individual’s in focus for the second leg, it is Haaland. He might have two targets in his final two Premier League video games, however he was barely current on the Bernabeu with simply 20 touches and has trended downward in a handful of statistical classes since coming back from damage in February. Metropolis could possibly survive with out his assist however will doubtless be unbeatable with him in high kind.

Actual Madrid: Los Blancos haven’t shied away from scoring targets in latest weeks, notching 13 of their final 5. Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior every have three throughout that stretch, however the query surrounding them is that if they may truly be extra environment friendly in entrance of purpose in opposition to Metropolis. The opponent’s skill to concede opens up a chance for Actual Madrid, however in the end the onus shall be on them to really achieve this.

The guests shall be with out Aurelien Tchouameni on the Etihad, who will miss the sport via a yellow card suspension. His absence leaves Actual Madrid extra weak to Metropolis’s spectacular assault, making this matchup a measuring stick of every facet’s skill to go all the best way and carry one other Champions League title.

UCL protection on CBS Sports activities Golazo Community

Quarterfinals TV schedule

All occasions U.S./Jap

Prediction

Every part’s developing Metropolis lately so it is onerous to see that not being the case once more on Wednesday, however Actual Madrid are unlikely to make it straightforward for them. Count on one other match that shall be carefully contested however for Metropolis to make an announcement simply when it counts and advance to their fourth straight Champions League semifinal. Choose: Manchester Metropolis 2, Actual Madrid 1 (ET)