Manchester City host Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in this Champions League semi-final first leg tie. Both teams came through tense, nerve racking quarter finals going through by single goal aggregrate margins.The hosts are aiming to reach their first ever Champions League final. Manchester City are coming off a 5-1 thrashing of Watford in the Premiership, a result that maintains their position at the top of the league. They have only lost once in their last 13 matches across all competition with that defeat coming at the hands of Liverpool in the FA Cup. These teams have met seven times previously in European competitions with the last six meetings being in this competition. After failing to win in the first four matches against Madrid losing two and drawing two, City then won both legs in a round of 16 clash in the in the 2019/20 Champions League.

Record 12 time champions Real Madrid come into this match on the back of a 3-1 win over Osasuna in the Spanish La Liga. They are 15 points clear at the top of the league and are almost assured of being crowned champions yet again. Madrid have won ten of their last twelve matches with their most recent defeat coming in the previous round against Chelsea. They second leg defeat took the tie to extra time which they eventually won thanks to a Karin Benzema goal. Real Madrid have failed to win in their last three visits to the Etihad Stadium losing 2-1 on their last trip. City manager Pep Guardiola has eliminated Real Madrid twice previously from the Champions League while he was at the helm at Barcelona. He is attempting to be the first manager to knock them out three times in this competition.