Ace Football presents a detailed review of this week’s Champions League action.
Two exciting games saw the Champions League semi-finalists lock horns for a place in the Paris final.
Villarreal travelled to Liverpool to face the Reds while Manchester City hosted Real Madrid at Etihad.
Let’s review our main takeaways from the first-leg games of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Man City edge out Real Madrid in Etihad goal-fest
A seven-goal thriller saw Man City defeat Real Madrid 4-3 at the Etihad Stadium.
Following a 2-1 win in the first half, Phil Foden doubled City’s lead in the 53rd minute. However, only two minutes later, Vinicius Junior scored Real Madrid’s second goal of the night.
Bernardo Silva made it 4-2 for the hosts later on, but a penalty from Karim Benzema forced City to settle for minimum advantage.
It was Benzema’s 14th Champions League of the season, which secured his place at the top of the UCL goalscoring charts. The French striker will now hope to lead Real Madrid through another comeback at Santiago Bernabeu.
Villarreal find no chances to surprise Liverpool
Having already eliminated Bayern Munich and Juventus from the Champions League, Villarreal came to upset another European giant on Wednesday.
The Yellow Submarines, however, were bombarded by Liverpool’s relentless attacks from the first minute.
They managed to prevent the hosts from scoring for the first half. However, the Reds increased the pressure on Villarreal’s backline as soon as the second period started.
The Reds finally broke the deadlock through Pervis Estupinan’s own goal in the 53rd minute. Only two minutes later, Sadio Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead to secure the victory.
Liverpool will go into the second leg with a two-goal lead on average. However, Villarreal’s UCL performances this season suggest the Reds must still avoid underestimating their Spanish rivals.
What to expect in the second leg?
The second leg games will take place next week. Let’s take a look at the most attractive odds for the upcoming matches.
Real Madrid vs Man City
The second-leg clash will see Real Madrid pushing for a comeback at their home stadium. Based on what we saw at Etihad, City might struggle to keep a clean sheet in the upcoming match.
On the other hand, Pep Guardiola’s side have such an incredible attacking stats that it’s hard to believe they will leave the game without a goal.
Similar to their first-leg battle, expect both sides to find the back of the net next Wednesday.
Villarreal vs Liverpool
Villarreal will most likely play a more open game as they try to get back into the game at their home stadium.
However, this will most likely provide more opportunities for Liverpool to find spaces behind their opponents’ backline.
We expect the Reds to find enough goalscorig chances to win the game on Tuesday.
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