Entomb haven't played the Heroes Association last beginning around 2010, when they brought home the championship. Before that their last debut was in 1972. Presently they are very nearly this season's conclusive.
Be that as it may, the marquee conflict keeps on being the City versus Genuine shot in the dark. Unlike last year, when they played Real at the Bernabeu precisely at this point in the competition, Pep Guardiola's team will this time play the second leg at home. In the second leg at the Bernabeu, Real defeated City 3-1 and 6-5 overall to win the title by defeating Liverpool 1-0 in the final. Even though they haven't won a game in their last four visits to the Etihad Stadium, Carlo Ancelotti's team will be difficult to beat.
TimesofIndia.com spoke with Mark Seagraves, a football pundit and former player for Manchester City, Liverpool, and Bolton Wanderers, about what fans can anticipate in the two second-leg matches before the semi-finals.
Excerpts: In contrast to last season, when they played at the Bernabeu, the second leg of the City vs. Real semi-final will be played in Manchester. Do you imagine that gives City the benefit? They will be the more joyful of the different sides with the 1-1 scoreline in what was the away counterpart for them...
Indeed, Guardiola said he believes that the group should get behind his group. If you look at last year, Real beat City 3-1 and 6-5 on aggregate in the second leg at the Bernabeu, I think that won't happen this year. That is one thing that Guardiola will be telling the players and the players ought to know in any case, that that is at no point ever going to occur in the future. They have positioned themselves superbly. An objective away at the Bernabeu and getting an attract the main leg is precisely exact thing they needed. They would have preferred to win, but this was a great result, especially coming from behind, so they will take that to Manchester and, of course, play their own game. Forget about winning it. They won't change their shape without a doubt. They will play the manner in which they play. They'll use a back four of 2-3-1. Stones will play in the middle of the field going forward, allowing Rodri and Gundogan to play forward and form a back three, if you will. This year, I've seen Manchester City a lot, and I think they've changed how they play the game. They are not as possession-based as they used to be, even though they still have a lot of possessions. They have an open door now to get in behind groups, with passes behind the backs of safeguards or getting it wide and getting into the case. They have Haaland and that has been a reward for them this year. Yet, having expressed that, it will be all the person who commits an error and it won't be an immense slip-up. It could be a minor slide pass that is intercepted, a half-yard out of position, or whatever, and that will change the game. When you look at the quality of the players on the field, it's hard not to swoon. There are far too many match winners and world-class players. Stats show that Man City had six shots on goal while Real only had three at home. That probably will change now. Man City will be tight because they don't want to concede early, and Real Madrid will undoubtedly be too. A goal early on will be all the game needs to really take off. We are aware that Real Madrid can overcome adversity. That has been demonstrated in numerous games this year, and we are aware that they possess the ability to cause problems for opposing teams. In a similar vein, the manner in which Man City has been performing in the Premier League indicates that it will be a significant night.
In their last four trips to the Etihad, Real haven't won. Possession of the ball and pressing runs are two of City's primary focus areas. However, Ancelotti's guard appears to be adequate to keep them out. Rudiger started in place of the suspended Militao, as expected. There was no objective for Haaland, which is actually a peculiarity nowadays, right? How do you see Manchester City pressing runs against the Real defense going into the second leg?
If the pressure was high during the first leg, it will be ten times higher during the second leg. Both managers have a great deal of expertise. The Champions League has been won by both. No one else has won it more times than Ancelotti. Guardiola, on the other hand, is aware of the time of day. He (Ancelotti) believes in 11 players on his team, all of whom are excellent players. They will counterbalance one another. Whether it's Militao in safeguard or Rudiger keeps his place. What both sides demonstrated was that John Stones has transformed himself. There are talented players on both teams. When I played center back, we would win 1-0, and the center forward, who had done nothing to win the game, was hit in the head by the ball. I would tidy up the line with my head, getting my nose slammed in and it's the middle forward who gains universal appreciation. Courtois competed in the final last year, and both keepers are of the highest caliber. I think it will be a war of attrition in some ways. They are that great that they will offset one another. The players will play with opportunity, yet with that weighty thing around their necks of - 'we should not get beat'. Man City was finished in by Genuine last year, yet that won't repeat. As you said - they returned and faced the hardship and that shows a ton of character. You realize that every one of the players on the pitch will play at a specific norm - which is a 8 or a 9 or a 10 out of 10. They will not fall below that. Ideally he (Ancelotti) plays Camavinga left back once more and we can see that matching of him and Vinicus Jr. also, the experience of (Kyle) Walker. As you stated, this should not have been the final. Manchester City has positioned themselves well for the semi-final. At home, they are. I believe that having all of their memories from last year should give them an advantage.
The current more difficult question, possibly the most difficult one. Your expectation for the last scoreline for this tie and who will win?
It will be extremely constrained. But, since they are at home and they have the fans behind them, they have every one of the recollections from last year in their minds about - thou shalt not repeat the experience - I figure Manchester City will win 2-1 in the game. 2-1 in the game and clearly 3-2 by and large. I simply think they (Man City) will have enough. As previously stated, all that will be required is one chance, one effort, one error, or one misstep.
Changing to the next semi-last - AC Milan was the pick for most specialists for this tie, so what Entomb Milan buried (Milan beat AC Milan 2-0 in the principal leg), shocked the vast majority. This is as a matter of fact the first Milan derby in quite a while Association semi-finals without precedent for 20 years. When this happened in the past, AC Milan had won, and they beat Juventus to win the title. The final's man of the match was Paulo Maldini. Along with Novak Djokovic, many members of those teams were in the stands to watch the final. What might your scoreline expectation be for this game, the subsequent leg?
Clearly assuming any group goes into any game with a 2-0 benefit you would feel that they will dominate the match so going by that I would agree Bury Milan. However, I do not believe AC Milan will advance beyond the first round; rather, I believe they will lose 1-0. Mark Seagraves has decided that Manchester City and Inter Milan will be the two finalists for this season. I believe that those two early goals for them did all the damage. Inter scored two goals through Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhiteriyan in the eighth and eleventh minutes of the match. And who would he choose to be the winner in the end?
Anyway, there's just a single champ there isn't it? Of course, Manchester City, yes. Unfortunately, the final is the semi-final, right? I would like to think that the matchup between Manchester City and Real Madrid would be the final. That is not meant as a knock on Inter Milan, as you can see from their roster and available players that it is also a fantastic squad. However, I believe there is only one winner in a Man City 11 on form and an Inter Milan 11 on form.