Man City vs Real Madrid Champions League Round of 16 Leg 2 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview
- Newly-crowned Spanish champions Real trail 2-1 from Leg 1 defeat in February
- City look to UCL for salvation after failure to defend EPL title and FA Cup
- See all odds and best bets for Champions League Round of 16 Leg 2 Man City vs Real Madrid
Manchester City will aim to revive a disappointing season when they meet Real Madrid in a heavyweight last 16 second leg tie in the Champions League on Friday.
Pep Guardiola’s City team hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg in the Spanish capital in February.
Zinedine Zidane’s Real team were crowned champions for the first time in three seasons last month after the resumption of Spain’s La Liga while City’s defense of the English Premier League was disappointing.
UCL Man City vs Real Madrid Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | -0.5 (-148) | -141 | O 2.5 (-134) |
| Real Madrid | +0.5 (+120) | +325 | U 2.5 (+108) |
| Draw | (N/A) | +340 | (N/A) |
Odds taken August 5
The oddsmakers make City strong favorites for a home win at 3:00 pm EST on Friday, August 7 with a price of -141.
Real are rated at +320 with the draw after 90 minutes at +310.
With the price on a City win unproductive, the draw at +310 looks best value here. It is more promising than taking an outside chance on Real at +320.
Three Triumphs from 2015-18 for Real
Real won the trophy three seasons in succession between 2015 and 2018 under the command of French superstar Zidane.
City have never progressed beyond the semifinals where they were eliminated by Real in 2016.
https://twitter.com/blancoslive/status/1290363260957593602?s=20
But they are favorites to lift it for the first time this year at +320 with Real priced at +2000.
After the resumption of La Liga in June, Real went on a stunning run of 10 straight wins to clinch the title.
City finished with five straight victories in England’s Premier League but had long before conceded the title to Liverpool.
After a 2-2 draw away at Leganes on the final day they finished five points clear of second-placed Barcelona.
City finished with five straight victories in England’s Premier League but had long before conceded the title to Liverpool, who finished 18 points ahead of them.
Pep Guardiola says Sergio Aguero will miss Manchester City's Champions League clash with Real Madrid 🤕 pic.twitter.com/paR6mSqNAe
— GOAL (@goal) July 28, 2020
After their treble-winning season in England in 2018-19, they also failed to defend the FA Cup and were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the semifinal. But they had retained the EFL Carabao Cup by beating Aston Villa in February.
Zidane has restored balance to the Madrid team and they look headed back towards the top in Europe at some stage.
UCL Man City vs Real Madrid Statistics
| 5 | Wins | 3 |
| 0 | Losses | 2 |
| 2 | Draws | 2 |
| 18 | Goals | 15 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 2 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 12 | Yellow Cards | 12 |
| 2 | Red Cards | 1 |
He has made them stronger defensively and they conceded only 25 times in La Liga while scoring 70 goals. Against that, they will be without Spanish international veteran defender Sergio Ramos who is banned after being sent off in the first leg.
Real have not been prolific and scored only 13 times in their final eight La Liga fixtures – conceding four.
That defensive prowess could be an asset against a City team who scored 102 goals in the EPL even though their runners-up spot was a disappointment.
However, City will be without injured superstar striker Sergio Aguero.
City Goal Spree in EPL Run-In
He missed the final eight matches of the EPL season, although it did not hamper City much as they scored 26 times during that spell – with 4-0 wins against Liverpool and Watford and 5-0 wins against Newcastle, Brighton and Norwich.
They conceded only once in their final five-match winning streak while Kevin De Bruyne has been in fabulous form creating chances.
📸| Preparation for Real Madrid.
A happy camp 😁
[@ManCity] pic.twitter.com/qADOXxU76C— City Chief (@City_Chief) July 31, 2020
When these teams met at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on February 26, Real took a 60th-minute lead through Isco. But City equalized with a 78th-minute strike from Gabriel Jesus before De Bruyne scored an 83rd-minute penalty winner.
Raheem Sterling scored eight times in the final eight games to finish the season with 20 EPL goals alongside five in the UCL.
Real had hit a stumbling block in the two games beforehand with a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo followed by a 1-0 defeat at Levante. Their form is hugely improved now.
Raheem Sterling scored eight times in the final eight games to finish the season with 20 EPL goals alongside five in the UCL.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Tactical preview: My blancos seriously will miss Ramos’s big game defense & presence. I don’t trust Militao. De Bruyne is City’s killer. Has to be marked by Casemiro. Problem is Madrid lack elite goal scoring. If Chelsea Hazard shows up, we can win pic.twitter.com/kZQQV5zpZC
— zengreenyoda (@zengreenyoda) August 2, 2020
Frenchman Kareem Benzema is currently Real’s top scorer with 21 goals in La Liga, one in the Copa del Rey and four in the Champions League.
City and Real have met five times previously in the Champions League.
Real have won twice, drawn twice and lost once with that one defeat coming in the first leg of this tie. For Friday’s match, I see the teams canceling each other out and the draw being the best bet.
Pick: Draw +310
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
