Wayne Rooney Proven Right as Outrageous Man City vs Real Madrid Prediction Resurfaces

• Wayne Rooney had a daring prediction for the Champions League semi-final tie between Manchester City and Real Madrid
• The former Manchester United striker predicted Pep Guardiola’s side would completely outclass their opponents
• City emerged 4-0 winners in the second leg on Wednesday, May 17, to set up a final showdown with Inter Milan

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was among the few people who predicted the Champions League semi-final clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid would be a case of men against boys.

Going into the tie, one would have been considered an optimist to bet against Real Madrid, who are the most successful club in Champions League history, with 14 titles under their belt.

Los Blancos were coming up against a wounded Manchester City side, who they managed to eliminate in the same stage of the competition last season. They went on to win the trophy.

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Despite the odds being fairly balanced, Rooney, who has had his share of clashes with both Real Madrid and City as a player, believed Pep Guardiiola’s side would be too strong for the Spanish giants.

What did Rooney say?

As reported by Marca, Rooney, who makes regular appearances as a pundit, tipped the Cityzens to not only beat Real Madrid, but to emerge victorious by a landslide.

"Manchester City will not only beat Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League, but they are going to destroy them," Rooney wrote in his column in The Times.

While he acknowledged Real Madrid’s previous successes in the competition, he was quick to also say they were lucky to go through to the final last season, where they eventually beat Liverpool.

"A year ago, Real Madrid knocked City out, but now the dynamic is different. City are better defensively and are a more patient team, but the biggest change is Erling Haaland," Rooney explained.

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True to Rooney’s prediction, City emerged with the victory on Wednesday, after the first leg a week ago ended in a delicate 1-1 stalemate, as cited on Uefa.com.

City were also dominant at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, but were hit on the counter against the run of play, with Vinicius Junior finding the opening goal for Madrid.

Pep Guardiola’s side then pushed for an equalizer, and it came, albeit in controversial circumstances. Kevin De Bruyne struck a beauty moments after the ball appeared to have crossed the line for a throw-in.

As it stands, City are favourites to lift a maiden Champions League title with Guardiola, who last won the trophy with Barcelona more than a decade ago.

FA Cup: United fans worried

Sports Brief also reported on Manchester United fans’ interesting take on their team’s chances of beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

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The Red Devils will come up against their neighbours, Manchester City in the final, but their fans are not too optimistic about coming away with the trophy in the oldest football competition in England.

Long before the tie against Real Madrid had come to a close, Manchester United fans had already taken to social media to express dismay ahead of the FA Cup final.