Real Madrid and Manchester City go head-to-head in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday evening, with close to £200 million separating the squad values of both sides.
Looking to repeat the heroics of last year’s iconic treble-winning season, Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side return to Champions League action with a tough quarter-final clash against record winners Real Madrid.
City booked their spot in the last eight with a comfortable 6-2 aggregate victory over Copenhagen, winning 3-1 in each leg, while Los Blancos narrowly overcame Bundesliga side RB Leipzig 2-1 across both legs.
Both sides are in excellent form heading into the first leg, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side occupying top spot in La Liga after going unbeaten in their last 13 matches across all competitions, while the Cityzens are third in the Premier League after going unbeaten in their last 25 games since the start of December 2023.
The pair have met six times in the knockout stage since 2020, most recently at the semi-final stage of last season’s edition of the competition, in which City comfortably recorded a 5-1 triumph on their road to lifting the title for the first time in their history.
Ahead of the latest chapter of this fixture getting underway on Tuesday night, we at SportsLens are doing a deep dive into the squad values of both sides as they look to advance to the final four.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Squad Values Compared
Goalkeepers
Despite City’s Ederson (£34.3m) being the most valuable goalkeeper within both squads, Real Madrid‘s goalkeeping trio has a higher market value than the Cityzens’ three.
Thibaut Courtois (£25.73m), who is set to miss out on both legs due to injury, Andriy Lunin (£13.72m), who will likely start in Courtois’ place, and Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga (£10.29m) combine for a total market value of around £49.75m.
City meanwhile, have Ederson (£34.3m), who is also due to miss out through injury; Stefan Ortega (£7.72m), who has started in the Brazilian’s absence; and veteran stopper Scott Carson (£170k) valued at a combined total of close to £42.2m.
Defenders
Both squads have several world-class talents among their defensive options, however it is undoubtedly Manchester City that has the most depth in this department, especially in central defence.
While both sides typically opt for a back four, Guardiola’s side is fairly unique in that he often fields four central defenders across his back line. Los Blancos tend to stick to the standard by deploying a left-back and a right-back to support their two central defenders.
Ancelotti’s two starting central defenders are likely to be Antonio Rudiger (£21.45m) and club captain Nacho Fernandez (£3.43m). Eder Militao (£60.04m) is also an option after recently returning from an ACL injury, while David Alaba (£21.45m) misses out through injury.
Ferland Mendy (£17.15m) is expected to start at left-back, along with Daniel Carvajal (£10.3m) in right-back, with Fran Garcia (£12.865m) and Lucas Vazquez (£4.3m) also available for selection.
Nathan Ake (£34.3m) and Kyle Walker (£11.15m) are expected to miss out through injury, while Josko Gvardiol (£64.3m) is doubtful, therefore defensive mainstays John Stones (£32.6m) and Ruben Dias (£68.62m) should retain their positions in the starting line-up.
Academy graduate Rico Lewis (£32.6m) could be handed a start at right-back, alongside ex-Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji (£36m), who has been touted to start on the left. Spanish left-back Sergio Gomez (£8.58m) is also an option, however his gametime has been fairly limited this term.
Real’s eight registered defenders offer a combined market value of around £151m, which is almost half as much as Manchester City’s £288.3m combined total.
Midfielders
Once again, the wide array of world-class talent among both sides’ midfield personnel is clear to see, with Real typically utilising four within their 4-3-1-2 formation, while City tend to start with three alongside two wingers.
Los Blancos boast the more expensive set of midfielders when combining their market value at a total of £470.2m, with City’s midfield five falling almost £200m short at a value of £283.2m.
Aurelien Tchouameni (£77.24m), Federico Valverde (£85.82m), and Toni Kroos (£10.3m) could make up the three who anchor the hosting midfield behind Jude Bellingham (£154.5m), who is the joint most expensive player across all positions within both squads.
The likes of Eduardo Camavinga (£77.25m), Luka Modric (£6.865m), Brahim Diaz (£30m), Arda Guler (£12.875m), and Nico Paz (£8.6m) are also available, however ex-Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos (£6.865m) is a doubt.
There are no injuries reported among Manchester City’s midfielders, therefore they are expected to be at full capacity. This likely means that Rodri (£94.38m) and Bernardo Silva (£68.64m) will be afforded starts, alongside the ever-impressive Kevin De Bruyne (£51.5m), who scored twice in the win over Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Summer signings Matheus Nunes (£42.9m) and Mateo Kovacic (£25.74m) provide strong competition for a starting spot, but it is largely expected that they will be named among the substitutes.
Forwards
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that Real Madrid only have three players listed as forwards within their squad, it is Manchester City that has the most expensive collection of attackers. City’s six attacking players are worth a combined total of around £476m, more than double that of Los Blancos‘ trio, which are worth just under £220m.
Brazilian pair Vinicius Junior (£128.7m) and Rodrygo (£86m) are almost certain to lead the line at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, while Spain international Joselu (£4.29m) should make an appearance from the bench.
The joint most expensive player alongside Bellingham within both squads, Erling Haaland (£154.5m), will lead the line for City in Madrid and will most likely be supported by two wingers.
Reports suggest that Guardiola will opt for Phil Foden (£111.5m) on the right-wing and Belgium international Jeremy Doku (£55.76m) on the left-wing, however Jack Grealish (£55.76m) and Julian Alvarez (£77.2m) are also in with a shout. Young Norwegian Oscar Bobb (£21.45m) is also an option, although he is unlikely to start.
Full Real Madrid vs Manchester City Squad Values
Real Madrid – £891.9m
Manchester City – £1.089bn
Note: All player values are based on listings from Transfermarkt and subject to change.
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