Mbappé faces Haaland in a clash of strikers in Real Madrid vs Manchester City
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Real Madrid vs Manchester City: A Clash of The Best Strikers
Madrid and Man City have now clashed in the Champions League for the fifth straight season. It's a different season and both teams enter with many new players, but the outcome is likely to be the same, with multiple goals from either or both teams, especially with Mbappé and Haaland expected to start today.
Their goal scoring prowess cannot be overstated, but this season has been one of their best individually, with Mbappé leading Europe with the most goals, and Haaland in third place, just behind Harry Kane.
The last time they met was in February of this year in this very stadium. And in that game, Mbappe scored a hat-trick to lead his team to a 3-1 victory over Man City in the playoffs knockout phase.
In the reserve fixture, which was just eight days before, Haaland netted two goals and Mbappe scored one in Man City's 3-2 loss to Madrid at the Etihad. As detailed in our Real Madrid vs Man City prediction, everything points to a similar scoreline, with both attackers likely adding their names to the score sheet.
Mbappé Goalscoring Stats 2025/26
- UCL: 9 goals in 5 matches
- La Liga: 16 goals in 16 matches
- 4 goals in last UCL game versus Olympiacos
- 10 goals in his last ten games for Real Madrid
Haaland Goalscoring Stats 2025/26
- UCL: 5 goals in 5 matches
- EPL: 15 goals in 15 matches
- Scored in four of his five UCL games this season
- 6 goals in his last ten games for Man City
Final Test for Xabi Alonso?
After a flawless start to the season, cracks in Xabi Alonso's new Madrid side have begun to form. Up until Madrid’s 2-1 El Clasico win over eternal rivals Barcelona, Real Madrid had won 13 of 14 games all season.
However, that game marked a turning point for the Galacticos. Dressing room drama and questions about Xabi Alonso’s leadership followed Vinicius Junior's outburst after his 72nd-minute sub against Barca.
Since then, Madrid have only recorded three victories in their last eight games, with the latest home loss against Elche spurring fans to doubt the Spaniard's managerial capabilities.
Even major news outlets reported rumors of the Real Madrid board considering a replacement for Xabi Alonso if he fails to beat Manchester City at home. But even for the 15-time Champions League winners, that's a tall order.
Pep Guardiola remains one of the best managers of all-time, and his Manchester City squad are flying high at the moment with three straight wins. City is just as hungry to win this game, as all three points could propel them to the automatic playoff zone by the end of this round.
