Real look to end Etihad voodoo
Eight days on from a captivating six-goal spectacular at the Santiago Bernabeu, Manchester City and Real Madrid reconvene for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The defending champions and 14-time winners shook hands on a 3-3 draw at the end of the 90 in the Spanish capital, before earning respective domestic wins to retain their standing at the top of the Premier League and La Liga tables respectively.
As records suggest, Manchester City will have the upper hand in their home. Real Madrid, despite their pedigree in the Champions League, are yet to beat City at the Etihad Stadium.
Having played a total of five matches at the Etihad, Real have tasted defeat on three occasions. In fact, Real Madrid lost in all of their last three visits to the blue part of Manchester.
The 14-time European champions were humbled 4-0 on their visit to Manchester 11 months ago at the semifinal stage as City went on to win the Champions League for the first time, along with the Premier League and FA Cup.
And, City look in a mood to only ramp up their success.
"We want the Champions League twice in a row... and if we can do that and two trebles in a row that no one did, that would be a legacy so that's definitely motivation, knowing that it's very, very difficult," City midfielder Bernardo Silva, who scored the opener in the first leg, said.
But despite being in a clear advantageous position, City are having to deal with criticisms about their main forward Erling Haaland.
Haaland's return of 31 goals in 38 games this season is still impressive, but he has not scored in City's three meetings with Madrid in the past year and failed to find the net in 13 of his last 20 matches for club and country.
The 23-year-old has also been in the firing line for not offering anything other than goals.
His performance was described by Madrid sports daily Marca as "impotent", while AS called him "clumsy and desperate" in his attempts to get the better of Antonio Rudiger.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will not repeat the same mistake of dropping Rudiger for the second leg as he did last season after the German had kept Haaland quiet in the Bernabeu.
While City will hope for Haaland to answer his critics, Real Madrid will be looking forward to someone who does the job despite not getting much of the attention.
While Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham draw most of the attention ahead of Los Blancos' most games, Rodrygo flies by under the radar.
Rodrygo struck twice in a late blitz against Manchester City in 2022 to help Madrid knock the English side out and was on target again in the 3-3 quarterfinal first leg draw last week.
In the first leg, Ancelotti deployed Rodrygo on the left of the attack, a position where he has been used sparingly, more often on the opposite flank.
And Rodrygo, who is content to play wherever and whenever coach Carlo Ancelotti deems necessary, knows what is at stake tonight.
"We have to win there, it's all open -- whoever makes the fewest errors will go through," he said.