For the third season in succession Real Madrid and Manchester City meet in the latter stages of the Uefa Champions League – the sides' fifth knockout tie in nine seasons. Catch the action live on SuperSport at 21:00 CAT on Tuesday.
Madrid ousted City in dramatic fashion in the semifinals on their way to their 14th European Cup in 2021/22 but Pep Guardiola's side took their revenge at the same stage last season. A 4-0 second-leg win in Manchester – Madrid's record Champions League defeat – earned a place in the club's second final, where City overcame Inter Milan to claim the trophy for the first time.
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The Spanish side have won 16 of their 19 Champions League quarterfinals – including the last 11 – but face opponents whose ten-game winning run in the competition started with that second-leg success last season.
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City finished top of Group G in this season's Champions League before beating Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. Madrid, meanwhile, also won every game in the group stage, finishing eight points clear at the top of Group C before overcoming Leipzig 2-1 on aggregate in the last 16, although a 1-1 home second-leg draw ended their run of victories.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Real Madrid wins 3
Manchester City wins 4
Draws 3
Real Madrid goals 14
Manchester City goals 17
The clubs were paired together in last season's semifinals, their second successive meeting at that stage of the Champions League. The first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu finished 1-1, a fine Vinícius Júnior 36th-minute opener for the home side cancelled out in the 67th minute by an equally spectacular Kevin De Bruyne equaliser.
City, however, ran away with it in the second leg in Manchester, Bernardo Silva's first-half double (23, 37) putting them in control before late goals from Manuel Akanji (76) and substitute Julián Álvarez (90+1), two minutes after his introduction, sealing a place in City's second European Cup final and equalling Madrid's biggest Champions League defeat.
That earned a measure of revenge for Madrid's remarkable recovery at the same stage of the 2021/22 competition. A thrilling first leg at the City of Manchester Stadium finishing 4-3 to Guardiola's home side. Early goals from De Bruyne (2) and Gabriel Jesus (11) put City in charge, but Karim Benzema (33) halved the visitors' deficit before the break. Phil Foden (53) restored the two-goal cushion only for Vinícius Júnior (55) to pull one back almost immediately and Madrid stayed in the contest despite Bernardo Silva's 74th-minute strike, Benzema chipping in from the penalty spot with eight minutes to go after Aymeric Laporte had been penalised for handball.
That looked immaterial when Riyad Mahrez extended City's aggregate advantage 73 minutes into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, and Madrid looked to be heading out as they still trailed by two goals entering the final minute only for Rodrygo (90, 90+1) to score twice in 90 seconds and force extra time. Five minutes into the first additional period, Benzema was fouled by Rúben Dias and converted the penalty himself to send Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid through in remarkable fashion.
Guardiola's City were 2-1 winners in both legs against Zinédine Zidane's Madrid in the 2019/20 Champions League round of 16 despite falling behind in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on 26 February when Isco gave the home side a 60th-minute lead. Late goals from Jesus (78) and De Bruyne (83), the latter a penalty after Raheem Sterling had been fouled by Dani Carvajal, turned the game around, Madrid ending with ten men as captain Sergio Ramos was dismissed four minutes from time after fouling Jesus.
That was City's first victory against Madrid but they clinched their aggregate win with a second in the delayed second leg in Manchester on 7 August. Although Sterling's ninth-minute goal was levelled 19 minutes later by Benzema, Jesus secured another 2-1 victory in the 68th minute.
There was only one goal in the 2015/16 Champions League semifinal between the clubs. After the first game in Manchester ended scoreless, a 20th-minute own goal from Fernando at the Santiago Bernabéu proved enough to take Zidane's Madrid into the final, where they beat Atlético on penalties, at the expense of Manuel Pellegrini's City.
The sides' only other competitive fixtures came in the 2012/13 group stage, when Madrid twice came from behind to win 3-2 in Spain on Matchday 1. City led twice through Edin Džeko (68) and Aleksandar Kolarov (85) but Madrid responded through Marcelo (76) and Benzema (87) before Cristiano Ronaldo snatched a 90th-minute victory.
It was 1-1 in Manchester, Sergio Agüero's penalty cancelling out Benzema's tenth-minute strike. Madrid ended with ten men as Álvaro Arbeloa collected a second yellow card in fouling Agüero to concede that spot kick.
Those four points helped José Mourinho's Madrid finish second in Group D, behind Borussia Dortmund; City, then managed by Roberto Mancini, ended bottom with three points having not won a game.
FORM GUIDE
REAL MADRID
Record v English clubs: W24 D14 L17 F84 A68
Home record v English clubs: W12 D8 L4
Madrid's record in two-legged knockout ties against English clubs is now W13 L7. Wins against Liverpool and Chelsea last season prior to losing to City have made it eight aggregate victories in the last 11, although their last three Champions League eliminations have all been by Premier League opponents – Chelsea in the 2020/21 semifinals (1-1 h, 0-2 a) and City in the 2019/20 round of 16 and 2022/23 semifinals.
Including the 2021/22 final, this is the ninth time Madrid have been paired with English opposition in their last 11 Champions League knockout ties, and the seventh in the last eight.
A 3-2 second-leg loss after extra time to Chelsea in the 2021/22 quarterfinals – a tie Madrid won 5-4 on aggregate – is one of only four Madrid have suffered at home to English clubs; their record otherwise is W12 D8, although they had managed just one win in five games against English visitors in Madrid (D2 L2) before beating City in 2022; they won the next three before being held by City last season.
Madrid are in the European Cup quarterfinals for the 39th time, more than any other side. Their record is W32 L6:
Madrid are making their 20th Uefa Champions League quarterfinal appearance, behind only Bayern München (22). They have won their last 11 ties at this stage of the competition.
This is Madrid's 28th Champions League campaign, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97.
Madrid have now qualified for the knockout rounds in all 28 campaigns and have won their section 20 times including each of the last four.
Having claimed the club's 14th European Cup – and eighth Champions League, also a competition record – in 2021/22, Ancelotti's side then finished first in their section last season, winning four of their six games (D1 L1) before beating Liverpool in the round of 16 (5-2 a, 1-0 h). That set up a second successive quarterfinal against Chelsea, Madrid winning 2-0 home and away, before going out against City.
This season, after seeing off Union Berlin on Matchday 1 with a late Jude Bellingham strike, Ancelotti's side have beaten both Napoli (3-2 a, 4-2 h) and Braga (2-1 a, 3-0 h) twice. They made it six wins from six – matching their feat in 2011/12 and 2014/15 – with a 3-2 victory at Union thanks to an 89th-minute Dani Ceballos goal.
A 1-0 win at Leipzig in the round of 16 first leg put Madrid in control of the tie, although they failed to win for the first time in this season's competition in the return, which ended 1-1.
The Spanish side have won 17 of their last 25 home European games (D4 L4) and 16 of the most recent 21 (D3 L2).
The Merengues ceded the Spanish title to Barcelona last season, finishing ten points behind their great rivals in the Liga standings.
MANCHESTER CITY
Record v Spanish clubs: W13 D7 L10 F51 A41
Away record v Spanish clubs: W4 D3 L8
City have already faced Spanish opposition this season, beating Sevilla 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Uefa Super Cup in Piraeus.
Guardiola's side won 4-0 at Sevilla on Matchday 1 last season, only their fourth victory in their 15 visits to Spain (D3 L8).
The second-leg loss at Madrid in the 2021/22 semifinals is City's only defeat in their last 12 games against Spanish sides, a run that includes eight victories.
The 2-1 victory at Madrid in the 2019/20 Champions League round of 16 first leg is City's only knockout win in their nine games away to a Spanish club (D3 L5).
Last season's win against Madrid made City's record against Spanish clubs in two-legged knockout ties W4 L5, their 2019/20 success against the Merengues having ended a run of four successive defeats. That was also their first aggregate victory against Liga opponents in the Champions League, having twice lost to Barcelona in the round of 16, in both 2013/14 (1-4 aggregate) and 2014/15 (1-3 agg), and Madrid in the 2015/16 semifinals.
City's record in European Cup quarterfinals is W4 L3 with wins in the last three:
2022/23 Bayern München W 4-1 (3-0 h, 1-1 a)
2021/22 Atlético de Madrid W 1-0 (1-0 h, 0-0 a)
2020/21 Borussia Dortmund W 4-2 (2-1 h, 2-1 a)
2019/20 Lyon L 1-3 (n)
2018/19 Tottenham L 4-4 away goals (0-1 a, 4-3 h)
2017/18 Liverpool L 1-5 (0-3 a, 1-2 h)
2015/16 Paris Saint-Germain W 3-2 (2-2 a, 1-0 h)
This is City's 13th successive Champions League appearance; they have featured every season since 2011/12 and have now reached the knockout stages in each of the last 11 campaigns.
Guardiola's side have also now won their Champions League group for seven successive seasons.
City won the Champions League for the first time in 2022/23, beating Inter 1-0 in the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul thanks to a second-half goal from Rodri. They had finished top of Group G before knockout wins against Leipzig (1-1 a, 7-0 h), Bayern München (3-0 h, 1-1 a) and holders Madrid.
The final victory brought Guardiola level with Zidane and Bob Paisley with three European Cup wins as a coach in total. Only Ancelotti has more with four.
Guardiola, a winner with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, also became the sixth coach to lift the European Cup with two different clubs.
Haaland was the top scorer in the competition with 12 goals. Midfielder Rodri was selected as Player of the Season.