Manchester City-Real Madrid: A clash of Titans to heat the Play-Offs' of the Champions League

Finally, one of the most attractive matchups, if not the most, has probably emerged in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 play-offs. The draw has paired two greats of Europe who have had a rather inconsistent performance in this tournament: Manchester City and Real Madrid. They are two stellar teams that have cultivated a rivalry as recurrent as it is exciting in recent years.

Throughout their history, 'citizens' and merengues have faced each other a total of 12 times, leaving a very even record, as both have managed to win four times, in addition to four draws. This parity is also evident in terms of goals, as adding up all the matches, Manchester City has scored a total of 24 goals, while Real Madrid has 22.

Manchester City and Real Madrid have built a nice rivalry in the Champions League

When analyzing the most recent matchups between both institutions, it is clear that it is a rather bitter precedent for Manchester City. Last season, in 2023-24, both teams met in the quarter-finals, where Real Madrid emerged victorious in a very tight series.

In the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, they drew 3-3. The return leg was decided in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Finally, in the penalty shootout, the merengue team achieved victory after Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovačić failed to convert their respective attempts.

However, not everything has been unfavorable for Manchester City, as in the 2022-23 season, the 'celestes' eliminated the merengues in the 'semis' with notable superiority, especially in the return leg at the Etihad Stadium, where the English team defeated Real Madrid decisively 4-0. Bernardo Silva was the standout player with two goals, while Kevin de Bruyne assisted on two goals. Manuel Akanji and Julián Álvarez also scored. This result settled a series that had been more tightly contested in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, ending in a 1-1 draw.

Returning to the present, it will be interesting to see how this matchup develops. Although at first glance, due to the names and histories of both teams, it promises to be a great match, it is evident that both clubs have had an irregular season, especially Manchester City, which has experienced a free fall since the injury of Rodri Hernández. The English team is trying to stop this bad streak by making adjustments to their squad with signings like Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov. Will Real Madrid prevail as they gradually begin to find their rhythm? Or will the 'citizens' move forward and defeat the merengues in this challenging moment?

The history between Manchester City and Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, in detail: