Manchester City Handed Tricky Path To Champions League Glory

If Manchester City are to retain the Champions League title this season, the Premier League giants will have to negotiate a tough route to the final.

City broke new ground to land a maiden European crown last term and will have to beat some of the continent’s elite once again if they are to make it back-to-back successes in the biggest club competition around.

Reunion With Los Blancos

Having breezed past FC Copenhagen in the last 16 of the competition, Pep Guardiola’s side have a reunion with Real Madrid to look forward to in the quarter-finals. City, who are 7/4 in the UEFA Champions League betting to lift the trophy this season, met the La Liga giants at the semi-final stage last term. Playing out a tense 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Cityzens produced one of the greatest performances seen from an English side in the return leg. The 14-time European champions Real did not know what hit them, as a brace from Bernardo Silva helped City on their way to a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium.

The win in Manchester against Los Blancos was a real statement performance from Guardiola’s side and one that made the world of football take notice of a team that would go on to secure a treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

Real will certainly be looking for some retribution this season after that heavy defeat in Manchester. Los Blancos are on course to win the La Liga title at a canter this term and can throw all they have at trying to topple City in the quarter-finals. Guardiola on the other hand must try to balance the Champions League with a Premier League title race that could go down to the wire.

Intriguing Semi-Final Awaits Should City Progress

City will not be looking any further than their two quarter-final clashes with Real Madrid but the club do know who could await them if they progress to the semi-finals. Arsenal or Bayern Munich are in the same side of the draw and one of those great clubs will be waiting in the last four. The Gunners also find themselves in the thick of a Premier League title race after just falling short of the English crown last season.

Bayern Munich on the other hand have a mountain to climb if they are to deny Bundesliga frontrunners Bayer Leverkusen the title. It’s been a substandard domestic season for the Bavarian giants but they can’t be underestimated when it comes to the Champions League. With a wealth of experience in their ranks and England striker Harry Kane enjoying a strong campaign from an individual perspective, Bayern would prove formidable opponents for City, should both clubs progress to the semi-finals.

City have the valuable experience from last season on what it takes to go all the way and lift the Champions League trophy. If the Cityzens are to claim back-to-back European crowns few could say that had an easy path to the continent’s biggest prize.