Michael Owen tips Manchester City to win treble, Steven Gerrard warns 'you can never write off Real Madrid'
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ByEurosport
Published 16/05/2023 at 22:10 GMT
Manchester City will host Real Madrid on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Etihad Stadium as they bid to make the final against Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday, June 10. BT Sport expert Michael Owen has tipped the Citizens to win the game and go on to claim the treble, but Steven Gerrard has offered a stark reminder of the threat Los Blancos can pose.
Guardiola promises not to 'overthink' Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid
BT Sport expert Michael Owen has tipped Manchester City to beat Real Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg and go on to win the treble, but Steven Gerrard has warned not to “write off Real Madrid”.
City will do battle with Madrid once more – this time at Etihad Stadium – with the tie perfectly poised at 1-1 after Vinicius Junior scored the opening goal in the 36th minute before Kevin De Bruyne tied it up in the 67th minute at Santiago Bernabeu.
The winner will claim a place in the final against Inter Milan, who defeated their city rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate, on Saturday, June 10 in Istanbul.
City are also bidding to win the Premier League and need just a victory against Chelsea on Sunday to seal the title. Pep Guardiola’s side also have the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday, June 3. to look forward to as they chase the treble.
Owen – who played for Real Madrid between 2004 and 2005 – believes City will take a significant step towards their goal with victory over Los Blancos.
“I just think Manchester City, yes, they’ve never won it but they've done those hard yards now,” said Owen, referencing the Citizens’ heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid at the semi-final stage last year.
“They’ve felt the pain, they probably understand it a lot more now than they ever have done. So, I don't think they're going to be as inexperienced as they were last season, basically throwing the game away when they were better team for 170 minutes out of the 180.
“I just think that at home, they’ve got the quality. I can see them going on and winning the treble this season, they’re that good.”
While former Liverpool midfielder Gerrard also believes City – who he describes as "the best team in the world" – will emerge victorious on Wednesday, he offered a reminder of Real Madrid’s threat.
“I think it'll take a similar pattern to last week in terms of possession, I think City will dominate that. I think they will ask a lot of questions of Real Madrid,” he said.
“And then it boils down to, can they keep them out and carry a threat because with Vinicius on one side, with [Karim] Benzema’s quality, midfielders joining in, you can never write this Real Madrid team off. They can score at any given moment.
“And then it boils down to, can they keep them out and carry a threat because with Vinicius on one side, with [Karim] Benzema’s quality, midfielders joining in, you can never write this Real Madrid team off. They can score at any given moment.
“They know how to handle the heat, handle the ball, handle away grounds – we’ve seen that at Anfield, 2-0 down, no panic. So they’re capable of winning this football match, that’s why it’s so intriguing.”
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand also tips the Premier League leaders to get the better of Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
“I'm expecting a tactical masterclass. I don't know who's going to give us the best version of themselves,” he began.
“But the way that these two teams went out last time, from a tactical perspective, was so intriguing. Different in a lot of things they do but the end products from both teams is always there to see.
“You've got individual killers on the Real Madrid team and you've got a team that just functions so well - a well-oiled machine in Manchester City that just get things done and are favourites going to every single game. I’ll have them as favourites at the Etihad.”
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