Manchester echoes football and it has always been so. There the meeting was held in 1886 in which the International Board was born, which would create the rules of this sport. A key city in European football and Madrid is not bad at it. In fact, he has only lost twice in seven visits and never went to CityThe only two defeats were inflicted by the other representative club in the city, United (in 1968 and 2003).
The white team has in the cradle of football two results that this Friday would be worth to work the comeback. When he went to Manchester in 2000, he Old Trafford heel de Redondo made United's 2-3 target immortal in the semifinals of that Champions League that led to the Eighth. Emulating that result would now put Madrid in the Lisbon quarterfinals. With the last precedent, the visit to Manchester in 2013, also against United and who won 1-2 in the round of 16 (Modric's goal), Madrid would manage to take the tie at least until extra time because it would equal what was harvested by City at the Bernabéu. Historical signs for optimism of a club that grows on European nights.
Guardiola and Zidane have never crossed paths in the City-Real Madrid format in an official match and Madrid's experience with the citizens on mancuniano soil he was with two other coaches on the opposite bench. First was Mourinho the one who visited Mancini's City (1-1) in 2012 in group stage and four years later it would be Zizou who would do the same at Etihad against Pellegrini (0-0), in the semifinals that gave way to the Eleventh.
A city split in two …
Greater Manchester, as an important region that is home to more clubs with a past Premier (Wigan, Bolton Wanderers …), but is dedicated to two greats, United and City. It is divided by the colors ‘devilish’ or sky blue (the skyblues). Even in that they are contrary. According to a 2008 study by Gary James for his book 'Manchester, A Football History', the city is almost divided in two in terms of number of fans. The supporters of the City are predominant in the east and the south of the region, while red devils number in the west.