Manchester City travel to Spain on Wednesday, needing a win against Real Madrid at the Estadio Bernabeu to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Pep Guardiola’s team must overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg after a dramatic encounter in Manchester last week. The first leg was a back-and-forth battle, with Real Madrid initially looking stronger before City found their rhythm.

However, defensive mistakes in the final minutes left the English champions with a difficult task in Madrid. City will be without three key players from the first leg—Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake—due to injuries.

However, Guardiola may have found a solution for his midfield issues, with new signing Nico Gonzalez impressing in their recent 4-0 victory over Newcastle. If Gonzalez keeps his place, John Stones is expected to return to central defense alongside Ruben Dias, while Rico Lewis could play at right-back.

Phil Foden is also likely to step in for Grealish. While City enjoyed a dominant win over Newcastle, Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna in La Liga. Carlo Ancelotti’s side started well but failed to capitalize on early chances, scoring only through Kylian Mbappé. Their task became harder when Jude Bellingham was sent off before halftime, and Osasuna equalized from the penalty spot. Real Madrid’s recent form has been inconsistent.

They have failed to win three of their last five matches and lost three of their last eight Champions League games, including a home defeat to AC Milan. However, they remain a formidable side in this competition, and a draw would be enough to see them through.

Manchester City have struggled in away Champions League matches, losing their last three.

They will need a big performance to overcome a Real Madrid team that rarely loses in this tournament. With attacking stars like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé on the pitch, the game is expected to produce plenty of goals. Mbappé, in particular, has been in top form, scoring 11 goals in his last 10 club appearances.

City’s best chance lies in their ability to score goals. Guardiola’s team has scored at least twice in seven of their last nine away Champions League matches. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have not kept a clean sheet in their last eight European home games, conceding two or more goals in four of them. If City can take advantage of Madrid’s defensive weaknesses, they have a real chance of keeping their Champions League dream alive.

PSV bank on home advantage to upstage Juve

PSV Eindhoven and Juventus will battle for a place in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, with the Italian side holding a narrow 2-1 lead from the first leg.

Having already beaten PSV twice this season, Juventus will look to complete the job at the Philips Stadion and extend their dominance over their Dutch rivals. Despite pushing Juventus close in Turin, PSV fell short after a late winner from Juve substitute Samuel Mbangula. Ivan Perisic had briefly leveled the score, becoming the club’s oldest goalscorer in the Champions League, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.

History is not on PSV’s side, as they have failed to win a Champions League knockout tie since eliminating Arsenal in 2007. They have also only managed to progress from three of 11 ties after losing the first leg. However, their home form offers hope—PSV are unbeaten in their last 12 European matches in Eindhoven, including recent victories over Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Liverpool.

Domestically, Peter Bosz’s team has struggled to maintain last season’s momentum. PSV needed a stoppage-time goal from Isaac Babadi to salvage a draw against Utrecht in their last Eredivisie fixture. They have won only two of their last eight league games, slipping to second place behind old rivals Ajax. Despite this dip in form, PSV remain strong at home, where they have not lost since November 2022.

They have also scored in every home game for more than two years, a record they will hope to extend against Juventus.

Juventus come into the match knowing that even a draw will be enough to secure their place in the next round. Weston McKennie’s stunning strike set them on the path to victory in the first leg, and the Italian giants will look to repeat their earlier 3-1 win over PSV in the league phase of the competition.

History strongly favors Juventus, who have progressed from their last 20 European knockout ties after winning the first leg—a streak dating back to 1979.

After a mid-season slump, where they won just once in eight games, Juventus have found their rhythm again, winning four matches in a row. Their latest triumph came in a dramatic Derby d’Italia against Inter Milan, where a late goal from Francisco Conceicao secured a crucial victory.