What is Manchester City’s path to the Champions League final and which teams could they face?

Manchester City visit the Wanda Metropolitano to take on Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening in their Champions League quarter-final second-leg.

The Sky Blues lead the tie 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s 70th-minute goal on 5 April.

Pep Guardiola’s side will now look to reach the last-four of the competition for the second consecutive season.

The Catalan guided City to their first Champions League final last year, falling to a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, but will first have to see off Atletico in the last-eight.

With that being said, let’s take a look at what the Sky Blues’ path to the final of the competition is.

Quarter-final second-leg

As mentioned, Guardiola will be fully focused on Wednesday’s quarter-final second-leg clash with Atletico in the Spanish capital.

Diego Simeone will likely start with a 5-3-2 formation as he did in the game at the Etihad Stadium, however, could opt for a more attacking 3-5-2 set-up.

City should be feeling confident going into the game, one because they have the lead and two due to Atletico’s home form in the competition this campaign.

Simeone’s team have failed to win a match in the Champions League at home this season, with their record sitting at two draws and two losses - something that will reassure the Sky Blues faithful.

Semi-finals

If Guardiola can guide his side to a second consecutive semi-finals, then they will face arguably their toughest opposition in the competition, Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The latter are the most successful team in the Champions League, winning the trophy 13 times, with their last triumph in 2018.

Los Blancos reached the last four of the competition after beating Chelsea 5-4 on aggregate. Karim Benzema’s extra-time goal secured their progression to the semi-finals.

Real have lost three out of their 10 games in the Champions League this season, one more defeat than the Sky Blues.

Champions League Final

If City can beat Los Blancos over two-legs then they will meet either Benfica/Liverpool or Villarreal in the final of competition.

Liverpool go into their last eight second-leg tie with Benfica at Anfield with a 3-1 aggregate score and look to set-up a clash with Villarreal in the semi-finals.

The latter knocked Bayern Munich out of the Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate score over two-legs.

History could repeat itself with the potential for an all-English final between the Sky Blues and Liverpool, if Jurgen Klopp’s side keep their cool and see-off Benfica and Villarreal - however, Villarreal shouldn’t be written-off against Liverpool.

City’s path to the final isn’t an easy one, but rest assured, Guardiola will be doing everything in his power to bring the prestigious trophy back to the Etihad this season - the only competition that has eluded him during his tenure at the club.

Where is the 2022 Champions League final and when is it?

This year the final will be held at the Stade de France in Paris. It takes place on Saturday 28 May at 8pm GMT.