Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro said playing behind closed doors at Manchester City can help the LaLiga holders overturn their Champions League deficit.

Madrid travel to Etihad Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Pep Guardiola's City on Friday, having lost the opener 2-1 prior to the coronavirus-enforced break.

Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne condemned Madrid – who had captain Sergio Ramos sent off in the Spanish capital – to defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu in February.

Madrid have a mountain to climb in Manchester, but star Casemiro believes Zinedine Zidane's side can benefit from playing without fans on the road.

"Without fans it's a different game," Brazil international Casemiro told Esporte Interactivo.

"It will be a very good game and difficult for both sides, but we're Real Madrid and we know we have a chance to go through.

"They won't have their fans and that might favour us a little.

"But the players are the same, the coach is the same and we all know that the difficulty level will be the same because they're a great team."