The UEFA Champions League semifinals start on Tuesday with a massive clash in England as Manchester City host Real Madrid in the first of two legs. These two teams have plenty of recent history in the competition, meeting in the 2015/16 semifinals with Real winning, while City bounced Los Blancos in the round of 16 in the 2019-20 edition of the competition. They’ve met six times all time, with two wins for reach and two draws. This time around, City are the favorites to advance, but Carlo Ancelotti’s team have taken care of PSG and Chelsea, feeling confident they can do the same here with Pep Guardiola’s side.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
Tuesday’s broadcast schedule
- UEFA Champions League Today, 2 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+
- Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+
- UEFA Champions League Post-Match Show, 5 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
Wednesday’s broadcast schedule
- UEFA Champions League Today, 2 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+
- Liverpool vs. Villarreal, 3 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+
- UEFA Champions League Post-Match Show, 5 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, April 26 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Etihad Stadium — Manchester, England
- TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
- Studio coverage: Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards
Commentators: Peter Drury and Jim Beglin
On-site reporters: Peter Schmeichel, Jules Breach and Guillem Balagué - Odds: Man City -215; Draw +360; Real Madrid +575 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Manchester City vs. Real Madrid
Storylines
Man City: For the favorites, star fullback Joao Cancelo is suspended for the match. There are no major injury concerns, and no player will miss the next match if they get a yellow in this one as the accumulation is reset following the quarterfinals. While the attack will get their chances, the big concern for Guardiola will be stopping Karim Benzema. Expect Ruben Dias to be tasked with tracking the Frenchman often.
Real Madrid: No injuries of note for Real, even including the struggling Eden Hazard, and that combined with no suspensions means Ancelotti will have pretty much everybody at his disposal. There should not be any real surprises in the starting XI, but don’t be shocked if they approach this match very defensively, especially in the middle. They must slow down the pace and frustrate City to come away with something.
Prediction
Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne score in the first leg and City take a small advantage to Spain. Pick: Man City 2, Real Madrid 1
