SUMMARY
- Real Madrid will face Manchester City in the UCL quarter-final second leg match after a 3-3 draw first time.
- Ahead of the match, Madrid fans took a trip to Manchester United's stadium 'Old Trafford.'
Real Madrid will face Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on April 17, 2024. The first leg had everything that a soccer fan could hope for. After City took the lead in the opening minutes of their first clash through a Bernardo Silva (2′) goal, the hosts soon overcame it to take the lead themselves through an own goal from Ruben Dias (12′) and another from Rodrygo (14′).
However, the match was not done as the visitors equalized through two worldies from Phil Foden (66′) and Josko Gvardiol (71′). But, as soccer fans know, Real Madrid never quit, especially in their home ground Santiago Bernabeu during a Champions League game. So it did not come as a surprise when Real equalized with an amazing strike from Fede Valverde (79′) in the final quarter.
📋✅ Our starting 𝗫𝗜!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 17, 2024
🆚 @ManCity#UCL pic.twitter.com/L1loYbnjcV
So it all depends on the second leg where Los Blancos will have to beat Pep Guardiola’s team in City’s home ground, Etihad. In the 2022-23 season, Real failed to beat City in the semi-final where Pep’s team defeated Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid 4-0 in Manchester after a 1-1 draw back in Madrid (5-1 overall). City then went on to lift the treble and beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the UCL final. Hence, it is an opportunity for Real to get revenge on Man City.
Real Madrid fans celebrate their Manchester trip with a visit to Old Trafford
Real Madrid is perhaps the biggest soccer club in the world with billions of fans. Hence, wherever they travel, the Spanish giants receive an enormous amount of support from the fans. It will be no different during the UCL quarterfinal clash against Manchester City. However, City is not the only big team to be based out of Manchester as the red half of the area still has a larger fan base.
Yes, the club in question, is Manchester United. Although the club is going through a tumultuous time at present and was knocked out of this season’s UCL in the group stages itself, “The Red Devils” retains a huge fan base that is only comparable to Real Madrid. On top of that, United’s stadium ‘Old Trafford’ is also a huge attraction for soccer fans due to the history of the club.
Real Madrid fans at Old Trafford before their game against Manchester City tonight. 🤝♥️ pic.twitter.com/RfB4NF5GRE
— centredevils. (@centredevils) April 17, 2024
Although the stadium itself has decayed over the years, Old Trafford’s ability to draw fans has not diminished one bit. Hence, Real fans, who traveled to Manchester for the UCL tie, decided to give the stadium a visit. Videos of them cheering on from United’s stadium are going viral hours before the match. While there is a chance that Madrid fans went to ‘Old Trafford’ for the history of it, this might also be a tactic to throw some shade at the City fans.
Manchester United may not feature in the upcoming Champions League season
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United’s UCL runs have been quite forgettable. In nearly 11 years, United’s best UCL run came in the 2018-19 season where they reached the semi-finals. However, they were thrashed by Barcelona 4-0 across both legs. United’s last Champions League trophy came in 2008 when they defeated Chelsea in the final via a tie-breaker.
After the disappointing run this season, fans hoped to see an improved performance from the team in the 2024-25 season. However, that is not looking likely as United is placed in the 7th position in the Premier League. While the top 4 teams usually qualify, there is a chance that the 5th spot could also be a UCL qualifier as England has a better UEFA coefficient.
However, even a 5th place finish looks unlikely for United this season after failing to beat teams like Tottenham, Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace. Hence, there is a big chance that a historic club like Manchester United will not feature in the upcoming UCL campaign. There is also chatter about Erik ten Hag’s position and leaks surrounding the club, which is not helping the matter either.