Expect fireworks when Real Madrid face Man City in CL

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Real Madrid vs Manchester City.

The all-time kings of Europe take on the current holders in the standout tie of the Champions League quarterfinals.

For the third year running, Madrid and City meet in a match-up in which the winner has gone on to lift the trophy in the past two seasons. And it would be difficult to look beyond either team going on to continue that streak this time around.

City are still in contention for back-to-back trebles after winning the English Premier League title, Champions League, and FA Cup last year.

Madrid, reinvigorated by the signing of Jude Bellingham last summer, are eight points clear at the top of the Spanish league and are aiming for a record-extending 15th European Cup title.

The Spanish giants also have a point to prove after being routed 4-0 by City in the second leg of last year’s semi-finals.

Then it was City who had a score to settle, having suffered a late collapse at the Bernabeu to crash out in the semi0finals in 2022.

Manager Pep Guardiola will likely know how motivated Madrid will be to exact revenge – just as his players were last year – and that adds a subplot to a tie that is already heavy on intrigue.

Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain versus Barcelona is another clash of heavyweights, with Kylian Mbappe aiming to finally lead the French champions to European club football’s elite trophy before walking away at the end of the season.

Premier League title-chasing Arsenal take on a Bayern Munich team that is limping towards the end of a miserable campaign in the German league, while Atletico Madrid face Borussia Dortmund.

REAL DEAL?

Madrid have all their attacking players clicking.

Bellingham has struck 20 goals in 32 games this season, including four in the Champions League. Vinícius Júnior is peaking just in time to face City with five goals in his last three appearances. Brahim Díaz provides a spark off the bench. And Rodyrgo ended a six-week scoring drought in Madrid’s last game, a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, to keep it on course for winning the domestic league title.

Madrid are on a 27-game unbeaten run at their Santiago Bernabeu Stadium across all competitions dating back to last April.

City found their scoring form over the past week after hitting four goals in each of their games against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to stay on the heels of title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.

ENRIQUE REUNION

After a difficult start to his coaching career at PSG, when he had to put up with Mbappe’s bitter contract saga, Luis Enrique has steadily won over fans and the French media - even if it meant dropping Mbappe or taking him off in games.

Enrique won the treble as Barcelona coach in 2015 with Lionel Messi in his team and is still in contention to do the same at PSG with Mbappe.

Losing has become a distant memory for PSG, who are undefeated in 27 matches since a loss away to AC Milan in November during the Champions League group stage. But playing a rested Barcelona side could be the toughest test of the season.

Xavi Hernández attempted to shock his team into getting its act together by saying he would quit at the end of the season, something that has coincided with a certain improvement.

Barcelona have gone unbeaten in 11 straight games since Xavi said in late January that he was renouncing the final year of his contract.

Robert Lewandowski, teenager Lamine Yamal , and Raphinha are all playing well of late, but the midfield is a big question mark due to injury concerns.