Haaland against Mbappe
Today is already New Year’s Eve in the premier class
With Manchester City or Real Madrid, at least one European heavyweight will not be in the last 16 of the Champions League. Goal scorers, coaching greats and attacking spectacles await in the hit.
A Champions League round of 16 draw without the "white ballet" or the "Skyblues". This will be a (bitter) reality for the neutral soccer fan. One of the two European giants who have lifted the trophy six times in the last ten years (5x Real, 1x City) will be caught in the play-off ...
Hard to believe, but true. The heavyweights, who also have the highest squad market values - City 1.3 billion, Real 1.23 - have not covered themselves in glory in the new league phase. This is one of the reasons why one of the two teams will fall by the wayside. "What we showed had little to do with dominance. There was a lack of stability," said City coach Pep Guardiola, who was anything but satisfied with his team's performances.
The absence of the injured "six-man" Rodri - the "brains" of last year's English champions - was to blame. "We miss him, but we have to do better as a unit." Instead, they have an all-purpose weapon in attack in the form of the Norwegian "beast", who is also expected to net against Real: Erling Haaland! The goal machine has scored an incredible 47 goals - in just as many matches in the Champions League, mind you. City recently even extended his contract until 2034!
His counterpart at the "royals" is Kylian Mbappé. The French "prince" has hit the ground running in Madrid, and his goals have so far helped to keep Real in first place in the Spanish La Liga. The sprinting rocket's dribbling prowess should also cause headaches for City in Manchester. "He brings skills to our game that make us particularly dangerous in transitional play," says his coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Balanced statistics
In addition to the duels between the goal-scoring giants and coaching giants, the statistics are particularly eye-catching. At first glance, the 14 head-to-head meetings on Europe's biggest stage provide a balanced record: five wins each for City and Real, plus four draws. In terms of wins, however, Real has the edge with 3:2. What's more, the matches have always been spectacular.
There is also much to suggest that fireworks will once again be set off in this latest clash, which many see as an "early final". This is because the Madrilenians are missing their entire defense - including Austrian star David Alaba. Instead, the attacking line around Mbappé, Vini and Rodrygo is "on fire".
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