TUESDAY:
REAL MADRID V MAN CITY
These two delivered one of the best semi finals in Champions League history last season and the neutral will want the same again this season.
Real Madrid head into this one off the back of winning the Copa del Rey beating Osasuna in the final. Their attention will have been immediately turned to this game because of they'll be desperate to win the Champions League and they have an elite manager in Carlo Ancelotti who will make sure of that.
They'll be expecting a much tougher game to the one they were involved in last season as they're up against a City side who are on an incredible run of form. They'll still back themselves because of the club they are but they'll expect a more challenging game because of the form City are in.
Man City have to play a back four for this game because they're up against one of the quickest players in the world in Vinicius Junior. Kyle Walker has the pace to deal with the Brazilian and City need to play him at right back in a back four so they can minimise the threat Vincius offers.
City arguably stand a better chance this time round because they have what they didn't have last season. A clinical no.9. They missed a number of crucial chances in the second leg of this tie last season and those missed chances eventually came back to bite them. With Erling Haaland up front for them this season, they shouldn't have a problem in missing those chances.
PREDICTION: 2-2
There will definitely be goals here as both sides have some very good attacking players. I think both teams will show up but I don't see either side winning it as the Bernabeu is a tough place to go to. The atmosphere will be behind the home side and will try and put off the away side.
WEDNESDAY:
AC MILAN V INTER MILAN
Nobody saw these two sides at this stage of the competition at the start of the season and they both haven't reached this stage since year they won it individually. Milan in 2007 and Inter in 2010.
They're both not having the seasons they hoped for as they're fighting for a top four finish in Serie A instead of the title like they were last season. They both have an opportunity to salvage their seasons by winning this competition which is realistically unlikely considering the team they're likely to face in the final.
AC Milan knocked out Napoli in the Quarter Finals which no one expected with Napoli being one of the favourites to win the competition. They were disciplined and well organised in that game and were a threat on the counter.
Inter Milan are arguably the favourites for this tie as they're ahead of Milan in Serie A with Simone Inzaghi's side two points clear in 4th. They also have more firepower in attack in the form of Lautauro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku who are both clinical strikers on their day.
They're already in one final in the Coppa Italia and they have the chance to make another here. They probably won't win both competitions but they'll still give themselves a chance of doing so as they have some good players and a top manager.
PREDICTION: 1-0
Home advantage doesn't count in this tie as they both play at the San Siro when they're the home team. I'm backing Milan to go ahead here as I think they'll cause Inter problems on the counter. INter have more goals in them but I think MIlan will have enough to keep them out and hurt them on the counter with the pace of Raphael Leao.
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