It is a sight we have become accustomed to this season: Manchester City throwing away leads and capitulating to dramatic defeats.

Their latest such collapse came last week, when Real Madrid battled back from 2-1 down after 80 minutes to win 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.

Former City player Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham got the late goals, cancelling out Erling Haaland's double, with the striker's efforts having come either side of a Kylian Mbappe equaliser.

Pep Guardiola will hope Saturday's 4-0 hammering of Newcastle United in the Premier League will start the recovery process, but facing Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu is a different matter altogether.

Here, we preview the match utilising Opta facts.

What's expected?

Madrid were the victors in 48% of the 10,000 simulations the Opta supercomputer has run.

City have a 29.4% chance of victory, while the draw is 22.6%.

Los Blancos have lost just one of their six UEFA Champions League home games against City (W3 D2), going down 2-1 in the round of 16 in 2019-20.

Last week's first leg was the first time City lost a Champions League game in which they led at half-time since April 2018 (1-2 v Liverpool), having been unbeaten in 32 games beforehand (W29 D3).

But it was the third time City had lost a Champions League match in which they had led twice, with all three such instances coming against Madrid.

Defence first for City?

We all know what City can do going forward, but their defence has been the major issue this term.

City have conceded 57 goals in 39 games in all competitions this season, three more than they did in 59 games last term. Only in 2016-17 (60) have they conceded more in a campaign under Pep Guardiola.

They have also failed to win any of their last four Champions League games in which they have scored first, with all those coming this season. 

City have lost nine of their 27 Champions League meetings with Spanish opponents, almost twice as many defeats than against sides from any other nation (five vs French and German teams). Indeed, their nine losses vs Spanish teams accounts for 28% of their overall defeats in the competition (9/32).

They have lost each of their last three away games in the competition. Only once previously have they last four in a row in the competition (under Roberto Mancini between 2011 and 2012), while this is already Guardiola’s longest losing streak away from home in the Champions League.

Last week was the fifth time City have lost the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie, going on to be eliminated on each of the previous four occasions.

Madrid's Champions League magic

Madrid have an incredible aura around them in this competition, which they have won a record 15 occasions.

Their win last week was the 40th time they have won the first leg of a European knockout stage tie away from home – they have progressed from 37 of the previous 39, failing only against Odense Boldklub (1994-95 UEFA Cup) and Ajax (2018-19 Champions League).

Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 78 Champions League home games (207 goals scored), doing so in a 3-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in December 2018.

This will mark the 10th Champions League meeting between Carlo Ancelotti and Guardiola.

They will be the first managers to face each other on 10 occasions in the competition, eight of which have come while in charge of their current clubs.

Ancelotti has won four of the nine meetings so far (D3 L2), while he has never lost at home to Guardiola in the competition (W2 D2).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid - Jude Bellingham

Last week's hero Bellingham was involved in controversy over the weekend as he was sent off in LaLiga, sparking fury from Madrid.

Bellingham has scored more Champions League goals against Manchester City than he has versus any other opponent (three). It is also the joint-highest number of goals an English player has scored against an English opponent in the competition (Frank Lampard, also three vs Liverpool).

Man City - Erling Haaland

City, though, do have a history-hunting striker in the form of Haaland.

The 24-year-old has scored 49 goals in 48 Champions League games, with his brace in the first leg his first strikes against Madrid.

A goal here would see him become the fastest to 50 goals in terms of both appearances and age (24 years 213 days).