Manchester City v Real Madrid

The last time these two teams met, it was a thrilling affair with Real Madrid coming from behind to win 3-2. This time round, the stakes are even higher for the teams, with progression into the next stage what they are fighting for.

With 2 points and rooted to the bottom of the group, City know that their future in this cup is out of their own hands. Indeed, they might not progress even if they win both their games. Therefore, this is a must win match and the onus will be for them to attack since the game is at the Ethihad Stadium. As such, the injury to Clichy might be a blessing in disguise as his replacement Kolarov is more attack minded. The good news for City is that the trio of Tevez, Aguero and Silva has hit top form just at the right time, all three netting in the 5-0 rout at the weekend. For this match, I would advice them to play a 4-4-2 formation, with two holding midfielders. Before anyone accuses me of being defensive, I have to say that having a good defence wins matches is more in line with my thinking than always score more than your opponents. Against a formiable team such as Madrid, not getting the basics right would be sucidal. With a 4 man defence and proper full backs, City would be less susceptible to counter attacks through the wings, with the dangermen Di Maria and Ronaldo situated there. A duo of holding midfielders would neutralize the lateral movements of Ozil and not allow him to space to work in. My choice would be to play Javi Garcia(a Madrid youth academy product) and Yaya Toure. The two of them would provide the height and air superiority City needs. Of course, during attacks, both have the ability to join in. Three slots of the attack picks itself and for the last left wing spot, I will opt for Nasri, who has shown that he can compete at the very highest level at his best.

Real Madrid also needs to win the game as it will ensure that they qualify. Playing at Ajax is never easy, which City can stand witness to and Mourinho will not want to travel there needing a result. Mourinho should continue with his usual formation. For the duo in front of the defence, Alonso picks himself and I will choose Modric ahead of Khedira. City's recent plays have come from long balls floated behind the defence for Aguero, bypassing the midfield and a ball winner in the center will be obselete. Instead, Modric will allow Madrid to keep the ball better and together with Alonso, provide the main attack route of the team. It is obvious that City's defenders have always been asked to press their opponents high up the pitch. This results in huge gaps appearing between the defenders, something Alonso can capitalise on with his range of passing. Ronaldo and Di Maria sprinting on the flanks and Modric bursting through the middle gives Alonso a chance to try a long through pass, similar to the first goal Tottenham scored against Arsenal. Another avenue Real Madrid might try to take is to test City with balls into the box. It os unfortunate that Higuan is sidelined, as he would provide a much better target than Benzema, who is amazing but more suited to another style. That should not deter Madrid from trying, as City has been really weak in this area.

Predictions:

Mancini will be sweatimg bucketloads after seeing Di Matteo get sacked despite achieving much more in this competition. His eagerness to take this match though might hurt his team instead. I will bravely call for a 4-2 madrid victory, which can fetch odds of more than 1-40. I also like the idea of Madrid scoring in both halfs, which can fetch upwards of 1-2.3. My last piece of advice will be to have a hefty bet of the second half seeing more goals than the first, with some bookmakers giving odds as good as evens for this.