Axel Torres's revolutionary prediction about Real Madrid's knockout stage

One of Real Madrid's most important commitments this February is the two-legged round of 16 match against Manchester City. This tie will allow only one of the two clubs to advance to the round of 16 of the Champions League, so both will aim to win.

Opinions about the outcome of this tie haven't been slow to arrive. Even when the draw held by UEFA revealed that the sky blue entity and Real Madrid would face each other, many issued their verdicts pointing to the winner and the reasons.

One of the latest to join this conversation that has just begun is Axel Torres. The Catalan journalist, on Cadena SER, surprised everyone by placing Real Madrid as the "huge favorite" to win this highly intense football double match. The commentator believes that "Manchester City is frankly bad", a more than sufficient reason to trust in the merengue victory.

Axel Torres's prediction has completely stirred up social media, since the Catalan journalist doesn't often choose Real Madrid as the favorite or the winner. But the state of the rival awaiting them at Etihad Stadium on February 11 makes Axel Torres choose Real Madrid. "They haven't managed to replace Rodri, they don't have any player in the squad with those characteristics", the journalist reveals.

He is very clear

That wouldn't be Pep Guardiola's only problem in facing Carlo Ancelotti's pupils. "Kovačić, who is playing the most, doesn't have the capabilities that Rodri has, and Gündoğan doesn't either", a setback for which there would be no solution in the transfer market. Because the journalist reveals that the cityzen executives "are going to the market, but they can't find".

Axel Torres takes as a reference, to issue a verdict about this tie, the PSG-Manchester City from two weeks ago. "The match against Paris Saint-Germain was the last in European competition against a significant rival. And in it, Manchester City was defeated 4-2", the journalist warns on Cadena SER.

Furthermore, Pep Guardiola's most important players are not performing at the expected level. "There are other players who were very important in the past like Kevin De Bruyne, who are not in a good moment", Axel Torres points out. The journalist understands that, although "we all remember what City has been, this is a City with difficulties".

That's why "Real Madrid is the favorite". The sky blue players "are not brimming with confidence, because they are the first to see how much it's costing them in every match". This could be one of the most striking keys to Madrid's victory in the round of 16 tie of the Champions League.