All you need to know in front of man city against Real Madrid

On By Littum

Football writer Ben Bloom analyzes the most important details as Manchester City is preparing to meet Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League for the fourth consecutive season.

A showdown between the two recent dominant forces in English and Spanish football is nothing new.

When faced with each other in the UEFA Champions League this week, it will be the fourth consecutive season Manchester City and Real Madrid have met in knockouts in Europe’s leading club competition.

But doing so in the playoffs is unprotected territory. With only the top eight teams in the expanded tournament’s new league, which got a direct route into the last 16, both city and real underestimated.

City demanded a comeback victory at home to Club Brugge in their last league phase meeting to qualify for the 22nd place playoffs, while Real lost three of their opening of five matches before quitting 11.

For the fourth season run, one side’s Champions League endorser ending in the hands of the other.

It is worth noting that the city’s performance in the playoffs round against Real can also have a knock-on influence on Premier League’s chances of earning five Champions League spots next season, which can benefit Pep Guardiola’s side that is currently occupying fifth place.

2024/25 Champions League Performance
Man By | POSITION: 22 ..

Manchester City 0-0 Inter Milan
Slovan Bratislava 0-4 Manchester City
Manchester City 5-0 Sparta Prague
Sports 4-1 Manchester City
Manchester City 3-3 Feyenoord
Juventus 2-0 Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Manchester City
Manchester City 3-1 Club Brugge

Real Madrid | POSITION: 11

Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart
Small 1-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid 1-3 AC Milan
Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid
Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 5-1 Red Bull Salzburg
Brest 0-3 Real Madrid

Previous meetings in Champions League

Between them, these two clubs have knocked each other out of the Champions League for three years in a row, with the winner of their head-to-head taking place with lifting the trophy at each occasion.

Date Result Round
September 18, 2012 Real Madrid 3-2 Man City The group
November 21, 2012 Man City 1-1 Real Madrid The group
April 26, 2016 Man City 0-0 Real Madrid Semi -final, first leg
May 4, 2016 Real Madrid 1-0 Man City Semi -final, second stage
February 26, 2020 Real Madrid 1-2 Man City Round of 16, first leg
August 7, 2020 Man City 2-1 Real Madrid Round on 16, second stage
April 26, 2022 Man City 4-3 Real Madrid Semi -final, first leg
May 4, 2022 Real Madrid 3-1 Man City Semi -final, second stage
May 9, 2023 Real Madrid 1-1 Man City Semi -final, first leg
May 17, 2023 Man City 4-0 Real Madrid Semi -final, second stage
April 9, 2024 Real Madrid 3-3 Man City Quarterfinals, first legs
April 17, 2024 Man City 1-1 Real Madrid* Quarterfinals, second stage

*Real Madrid won 4-3 on sanctions

Last season, the City paid the award for their suffering in front of the target in the quarterfinals other stage when they lost on sanctions.

The campaign before that had Guardiola led the club to their first Champions League trophy in their treble-winning season as they smashed Real 4-0 in the second stage at Etihad Stadium to move on to the final.

The two sides were met at the same step in 2021/22, when the Spaniards prevailed after a large European draw. With City 5-3 up on the way on the way into the 90th minute, Rodrygo hit twice to take the game for extra time when Real grabbed a winner.

Despite the start against Real four times, Erling Haaland is not yet to score against the Spanish side, which is equivalent to his common longest barren race against any team. The city’s scorers in last season’s quarter -final matches between the clubs were Bernardo Silva, Phil Foot, Jesko Gvardiol and Kevin de Bruyne.

Latest form

After something of a resurgence in recent weeks, the city leads into the match on the back of a convincing 2-1 triumph of League One Side Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Saturday, which followed a comprehensive 5-1 Premier League loss at Arsenal.

Like their opponents, Real’s recent form has also been bumpy. They scraped past Leganes 3-2 with a winner of stop time in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals last Wednesday before pulling their local derby 1-1 against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

While remaining the top of Laliga, they have picked up only one point from their two recent league matches.

Guardiola’s quotes before fighting

On the hard move: “The group phase and the knockout scene are always difficult. We haven’t done so well in the group step so we deserve to be where we are. The drawing is the draw and (we) accept the challenge.”

Whether this is the era’s great Champions League Rivalization: “Without a doubt. I would say in the last years, yes. We have won four, pulled five and lost three (of the 12 games), so in recent times maybe. But in terms of Champions League history we can’t compare with Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich.

On Real Madrid’s attacking quartet by Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham: “It’s impossible in 90/120/200 minutes to control these four players. They are unusual – how they combine, the runners, the ability against one how they hold the ball. All four are unusual. Everyone knows so you have to To reduce their commitment as much as possible, knowing that it will happen.

Team news

Guardiola rested a number of players against Orient and appears to have an almost full group to choose from on Tuesday.

Ruben Dias and John Stones both played a half in the FA Cup slips while Ederson and Nathan Ake missed. Everyone could be suitable to meet real.

The biggest concern is for January that signed Nico Gonzalez, which lasted only 20 minutes on his debut against Orient before falling awkward and leaving the match too early.

Fellow New Boys Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov are available after being added to the City’s Champions League team, which does not include Vitor Reis.

Real Madrid faces something of a defensive injury crisis where Lucas Vazquez is the latest player to be excluded.

Vazquez has filled on the right back this season in the long -term absence of Dani Carvajal.

The Spanish club is also without Centerback’s Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba and you Militao for the trip to Etihad Stadium.

The city’s Premier League -Inventar

Guardiola’s side is facing a difficult couple of weeks in their match for a top four place in the Premier League.

They welcome Newcastle United between the matches against Real Madrid before taking on Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in their subsequent three Premier League inventory.

UEFA Champions League Knockout -Phase –

First Ben: Man City Against Real Madrid, Tuesday, February 11, 20:00 GMT
Other one leg: Real Madrid against Man City, Wednesday 19th February, 20:00 GMT