J warned himack Grealish a week ago: “At Etihad, we feel unstoppable”. It’s not a cliché, or a call to fans, it’s just a fact: the City of Manchester they have lost only one game this season at their stadium. The rest, all wins and a draw.
The ‘Sky Blues’ have played 28 games at their stadium this season, with 26 wins, one draw and one loss. A number of results that warn a real Madrid that they need at least a draw -and resolve in penalty shoot-out- to access the final in Istanbul.
But Pep Guardiola and His team have not conceded anything in their field since December 31, when they delivered a draw against Everton, certainly the team they beat 0-3 this weekend. Their only defeat of the season was on November 12, before the World Cup, against a good Brentford (1-2). This is the second time the future Premier League champions have failed at home.
For him etihad There were teams that were brutally beaten, like RB Leipzig, who got a 7-0 win on their day. Erling Haaland scored five goals, Burnley, who went 6-0 in the FA Cup, Copenhagen, who they endorsed 5-0 in the group stage of the Champions League, and Manchester United, who in the Manchester derby received 6-3.
His goal-scoring prowess is immense, bolstered by the arrival of Haaland, who has scored 35 of the 52 he has scored this season at the Etihad, that is; 68% of goals were scored at home.
Together, andCity He scored 95 goals at home, more than three per game, and Haaland directly contributed to 37% of them.
On the defensive facet, the team of Guardiola, despite a change in formation and defense of three central defenders, with a fourth defender up front to assist in possession, they kept a clean sheet thirteen times and scored 21 goals. This could be a form of survival for Real Madrid, as City are more fragile at the back than other teams in the Premier, especially at home.
Their league record of 17 home goals is worse than Manchester United (8), Liverpool (16) and Newcastle United (13) and not far behind Brentford (18), Brighton (19), Wolves (19), Chelsea (19) and Aston Villa (20). For this reason, Ederson, with 11 clean sheets, is not competing to win the Gold Glove of the competition, far from the favorite, a David de Gea who, despite living with critics, has maintained his goal in zero in 16 instances.
Not so long ago, last season, after a 6-3 victory over RB Leipzig, Guardiola appealed for the support of his fans and asked him to repeat the help against Southampton next weekend. The city’s stadium, known to rival supporters as the “Emptyhad”, in reference to its emptiness, is not one of those that produces sellout after sellout in England, but this season is sure to win . In addition, they will face a Real Madrid team that has never won here: two draws and one loss.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
