Real Madrid v Man City - 18th September

Jose Mourinho's La Liga champions take on Man City
at the Bernabeu in the pick of the opening fixtures of Match Day 1.

This will be a very tough start for Roberto Mancini's side in what is this seasons group of death.

Real Madrid are amongst the favourites to win the competition for the first time since 2001/2.

Any comments or predictions?

I think City might shock a few people tonight. Madrid arent doing too well and look a bit dodgy all over the pitch and if City dont get overawed at the setting then they should get something from this game.[/i]

I expect a Real Madrid win here. Although they are having a bad start at LaLiga, they can be great if they want, just like in their Super Coppa win against Barca

RMA 3-2 MCFC

pray for the victory of Real

OOO, bro let's pray together

I don't think that in this match will be so many goals. It will be a close game

I can only see this game being a DRAW. both teams have had a bad start to the season, despite City still challenging up there.
Real Madrid need a win and have been given a kick up the backside.

For Madrid, I can't see past RONALDO living upto his reputation. He knows it's the champions league where his form matters more. DI MARIA will need to make up for his red card.

For City, BALOTELLI is the man to look at, if he starts the game. With NASRI best of them remaining lot.

I'll be looking at the form of David Silva in this match. To My knowledge, he had a poor Euro, despite playing ok in a team with the cast of Spain. It's hard to play badly in a team, like that.

I want Mourinho, I mean...Madrid, to win

Line ups

REAL MADRID:
Casillas, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo, Arbeloa, Khedira, Alonso, Essien, Di Maria, Ronaldo, Higuain.

Subs: Adan, Ramos, Coentrão, Kaka, Ozil, Modric, Benzema

MANCHESTER CITY:
Hart, Maicon, Kompany, Clichy, Nastasic, Nasri, Javi Garcia, Barry, Silva, Yaya Toure, Tevez.

Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Lescott, Kolarov, Rodwell, Dzeko, Aguero.

Let's see Ronaldo Tear Man city Apart as he does so often in la liga. With his prior experience in the premiership it should be a doddle!

tight game i think 2-1 man city.

Why are so few people discussing this match? Let's discuss guys

Great game so far, with Madrid having more chances. City getting forward plenty though.

How the hell is Mancini starting the geriatric Maicon against Ronaldo ffs! More evidence of a manager without a clue!

Man City score an unexpected goal, through Edin Dzeko. Back to the wall job now.

Well deserved goal for Marcelo!

Been closest so far with 2 good shots.

RONALDO pops up with an unexpected winner.

WHAT. A. GAME!

Result

Tuesday 18th September

Real Madrid 3-2 Man City
0-1 Dzeko 68’
1-1 Marcelo 75’
1-2 Kolarov 85’
2-2 Benzema 87’
3-2 Ronaldo 90'

What a fantastic football match that was to watch!

It looked like Man City were going to win 2-1 but Real Madrid fought back in the last few minutes to win 3-2!

Any comments on todays result?

Gutted, a Man City win wouldve really put pressure on Ronaldo and Mourinho but they came through it quite easily in the end. City were really poor, Mancini is an idiot. How can you play Maicon? The guy is a joke. He showed exactly why Madrid didnt sign him this summer. Garcia was more focused on protecting his junk than the goal, why doesnt he throw himself in front of Marcelos shot? Kompany half ducking Ronaldos 10th (yes 10th) effort of the evening which beat Hart. Shame for Hart he single handedly kept them in the game until Toure dragged them upfield for the opener. City cant complain though, on the back foot from the start and never really any ambition to get a foot hold in the game. How can a team that cost so much be so negative? Any way very good game and a nice way to start the Champions league this season.

Points to this man!

what a game, one of the best i've seen recently and a deserved win for Madrid!

crazy end to this game ,enthralling stuff!
Ronaldo came out on fire against the aging Maicon Joe Hart kept MAn city alive in that first half that's for sure.BUt Ronaldos started to look a bot one dimensional in his attack run down the left cut onto the right and that was it. He completely disappeared until about the winner. Best player in the world? my *ss ,but you got to respect the goal with help from Kompany.
I think man city have to look at this tape and think about what might have happened if they attacked from the start ,because every time they attacked they gave Real madrid trouble. I said it long before the media took any notice ,but Ya YA toure is the DON of that team ,simple as that. NOt his best game as man city didn't utilize the [;ayer enough ,but once he got on that ball he
made Silva look like the overrated player i have always said he was. The Spaniard was crap out there for me i'm sorry ,never troubled Real an any way. Tevez should have been subbed early in the second half ,just didn't do enough and i really don;t think he's a team player. Passing to him is criminal and i could count untold times where he would not pass that ball to Toure when he was open. I would have liked to have seen Balotelli on that pitch for the sole reason that he can hold the ball up with his back to the goal and create chances for on rushing players like your SIlva or Tevez ,without that those players lacked any dimension. Anyway tough loss for MAn city credit real madrid for answering every time they were forced to.They can at least put one notch on their belt for finally beating a premiership team over the last 8 years or so.

Toure goes missing for about 20 minutes at a time inbetween his bursting runs, it's a major hole is his play that he doesn't dominate games because he's always going missing for large parts of them.

The other problem with Toure is that while his finishing, strength and speed are of course excellent his final ball is poor, so he so often finds himself in great positions because of his positive attributes but either plays a poor ball or makes the wrong decision at the key time. This came up a lot today.

Of course all action fans of players like Lampard and Gerrard lap it all up but for a player who plays in the most influential position for City in a creative sense Toure isn't a particularly creative player.

If only you could mix Silva's brain and technique with Toure's physique.