Manchester City will be playing the first leg of the Champions League semifinal versus Real Madrid this coming Tuesday. As this game approaches, Manchester City looks to stay competitive on two fronts. They are still first in the league and, according to many, have a great chance to make their second Champions League final in a row.

 

Real Madrid stands in their way, but it seems like the Spanish club is overmatched in this instance. As the game is coming in a few days, let's look at three bold Manchester City predictions for the first leg of the Champions League semifinals vs. Real Madrid.

Manchester City Champions League predictions vs. Real Madrid 

Gabriel Jesus is going to play and score at least one goal 

Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus was somewhat forgotten on this Manchester City roster. Granted, he has not played as many minutes as some other players, and he was generally silent throughout his entire City stint. Yet, when manager Pep Guardiola gave him a shot in their last game versus Watford, Jesus delivered. He scored four goals, bringing his tally up to seven this year in the EPL, and he might be an option for the starting spot come Tuesday. Obviously, Guardiola prefers Bernardo Silva in the false nine position, but there is a major reason why this would not be preferable.

Manchester City will be playing Real Madrid, a team that has a very solid midfield. That gives them an advantage versus teams with a false nine, as they can take over the marking of the player once he moves to engage his midfield. With an out-and-out striker, such as Jesus for instance, the Citizens could apply pressure on the weakest point of Real Madrid, their center-back pairing. Both Alaba and Militao are great players, but they are prone to mistakes. Those mistakes are more likely to be exploited by a goalscorer like Jesus, rather than a facilitator like Silva. Our prediction says that Jesus will be playing and that he will be on the scoresheet once again.

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It will be a game of midfield dominance, and Kevin De Bruyne will be fantastic 

Kevin De Bruyne does not get the recognition he really deserves. The entire footballing world is discussing Mohamed Salah, Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, and others as the best players in the world, but De Bruyne is up there. He is an amazing player, not only because of his goalscoring, which is great for his position. The way that De Bruyne bosses the midfield and links up play is beyond this world, and he is the most important player on this stacked Manchester City team. His skill set is made even more important in games like these.

The Champions League is a competition of elite midfielders primarily. While all the fame goes to the goalscorers, they would not be able to dominate without the support from the middle. De Bruyne, together with Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan, is the reason why this City team is as dominant as they are. Against Real Madrid, they will be coming up against the iconic midfield of Madrid. Even without Casemiro, who is reportedly a doubt for the game, it is still incredibly strong. It will be up to De Bruyne to control and dictate the midfield, giving Manchester City possession and, by extension, a way to constantly threaten his compatriot Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid's goalkeeper. Thus, look for De Bruyne to dominate that midfield in the first leg.

Manchester City will win by at least two goals 

While all the respect should be given to Real Madrid, they are overmatched in this instance. Manchester City is not only a fantastic team, they are also a team that has the capabilities to shut down important Real Madrid threats. Without possession, as witnessed in their first leg versus PSG, Real Madrid really cannot be the team they have been for most of the La Liga season. They had some limited success in the first leg versus Chelsea, where Chelsea had most of the possession in the first half. But as the second half came, even with the early Benzema goal, Real Madrid was completely dominated by the Blues. With such a talented midfield, Manchester City should assume all the control in the middle and thus put themselves in a great position offensively.

With the form of their attacking players, Manchester City should be able to score at will in this matchup. Real Madrid's defense is very leaky and unstable, and if Casemiro is not there it could be a world of hurt for the 13-time Champions League winners. Look for Manchester City to play a top-level game and win the first leg of their Champions League semifinal versus Real Madrid by at least a two-goal margin.