Real Madrid and Manchester City gave us a real show in the first leg of their Champions League semifinals matchup. It finished 4-3, with the English side having more to regret after the game.

The Citizens had multiple chances to make it an even bigger win, but Real Madrid held on. As the tie awaits its second half in Madrid, the Spanish giants have a lot to hope for. After this game, they have a chance to make their fifth Champions League final in the last 10 years.

Without further ado, let's look at three bold Real Madrid predictions for their Champions League second leg vs. Manchester City.

Real Madrid Champions League predictions vs. Manchester City 

Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. will give us more of that Champions League magic

There are three names that are the primary bedrock of this Real Madrid season. Thibaut Courtois has been amazing in goal, while Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema kept Real Madrid in games they had no business being in. It was exactly this attacking duo that saved the match versus Manchester City.

Vini scorched Fernandinho to score Madrid's second goal, while Benzema produced another masterclass, scoring two goals in essentially his only two opportunities the entire game. The second goal, the Panenka penalty, was especially beautiful, without taking any credit off the first finish, which was also magical.

Los Merengues will again look to their two best attackers and if this season has been any indicator, they will show up again. The Bernabeu produced some incredible moments of Champions League magic this season and these two have been the main perpetrators. First, it was Vinicius Jr. assisting two of the three Benzema goals that got Real Madrid over PSG in the round of 16. Then, it was a Vinicius assist to Benzema in overtime against Chelsea that sealed the deal in the quarters.

With a full Santiago Bernabeu and a ton of confidence from winning La Liga in late April, these two should be at the forefront of another Real Madrid classic in the Champions League.

Casemiro's return will change the game entirely 

In the first leg, Real Madrid scored from one penalty, one Vinicius run and one incredible Benzema finish which was incredible. Those were also the only chances Real Madrid had in the entire game, as Manchester City completely dominated otherwise. They did so by exploiting the lack of Real Madrid's stabilizer in the middle, Casemiro.

The Brazilian defensive midfielder might not be the most skilled or the most reliable with the ball, but he is one of the best DMs in the history of football. His play-breaking skill is next to none in the world and his ability to lock down a player and completely take him out of the game was the reason for many of Real Madrid's wins in huge games. In this game, it will be more important than ever that he plays.

Manchester City was able to exploit how Real Madrid just could not close down on passes and left a ton of space in the middle. With fullbacks entering the middle and adding additional options for link-up passes, the Citizens were just able to take the ball and never lose it. Now, with Casemiro back in action, it will be tougher to do.

Also, Casemiro will likely closely follow Kevin De Bruyne and try to make it harder for the Belgian to link up his teammates and provide space and opportunities for goal. De Bruyne was constantly open and had a ton of space to operate, something that cannot be closed down unless there is a player following him all the time. Toni Kroos, who was the DM in the first game, is not that type of player, but Casemiro is.

Real Madrid will pass through to the final 

It has been repeated many times in the past, but still rings true. The Champions League is Real Madrid's competition.

After two years of adjustment, after Cristiano Ronaldo left, Real Madrid made two semifinal appearances in a row. Last year, injuries and the way Chelsea countered Real Madrid's style of play proved too much for Los Merengues to overcome. However, after the first game, it is entirely clear that Real Madrid will have many chances to win this game and ultimately make it to Paris for the final.

The defense will be much better prepared with Casemiro back in the team and David Alaba fully recovered. Also, Real Madrid got a ton of confidence over the weekend, beating Espanyol 4-0 to secure the title with four matches to go in the league. Manchester City still has a bitter fight with Liverpool until the last matchday, so Real Madrid should be fresher, have more confidence, and, ultimately, they will be carried by a full Santiago Bernabeu.

If anyone can do it, it is this team and these players that have already crawled back from being down many times this season. Real Madrid is winning this game.