Real Madrid News
Five key stats ahead of Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid will play their biggest match of the 2022/23 campaign till date when they take on Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals later tonight at the Etihad Stadium.
The first leg, played at the Santiago Bernabeu last week, ended in a closely-contested 1-1 draw with goals coming from Vinicius Jr and Kevin De Bruyne.
It sets up for an exciting match-up tonight at the Etihad with both teams entering into the game on level terms.
However, as we head into the game, Pep Guardiola’s troops might have an edge playing at their home ground, where they have been exceptional this season.
Indeed, Manchester City have played 14 home games in 2023 across all competitions and won each of them, scoring 49 goals and conceding just seven. In fact, they have not lost a game on home turf since a defeat to Brentford in November 2022.
Furthermore, Man City’s last home defeat in the Champions League was all the way back in September 2018, when they were beaten 2-1 by Lyon, meaning they have gone nearly five years without losing at home in the competition. They have played 25 times at the Etihad since then and won 23.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have never won any of their games at the Etihad Stadium, while they have not reached the UCL finals when the semi-final first leg at home ended in a draw.
So, the odds are certainly stacked against Carlo Ancelotti & co. ahead of the match. However, what works in Real Madrid’s favour is the fact that their captain Karim Benzema has a solid record at the Etihad Stadium.
The 35-year-old superstar has scored four goals in four visits to Manchester City’s home turf in the UEFA Champions League, with three of those strikes coming in his last two trips.
Another factor that could swing things in favour of the reigning European champions is the form that star forward Vinicius Jr is in currently.
The Brazilian has directly contributed towards a goal in each of his last 11 starts in the Champions League. Should he score or assist tonight, he would become the first player to contribute to a goal in 12 consecutive starts in the competition.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
Pat Grey
May 17, 2023 at 6:09 pm
Benzema is no longer the strong and sharp forward and scorer he has been in the last three years or so. He gets easily tired these days and loses the ball quite often. He might be held at bay today by the solid Man City defense. If Vinivius plays a less selfish game and refrain from holding on to the ball and dribbling longer than is often needed, he might help Benzema in front of goal.