Manchester City v Real Madrid head-to-head record, UEFA Champions League history ahead of knockout play-off
By Jonny Bray
Published 10/02/2025 at 15:08 GMT
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Manchester City and Real Madrid will go head-to-head in the first-ever edition of the UEFA Champions League knockout play-offs this week. The mouth-watering fixture on Tuesday is not the first time these two iconic clubs have faced off. The Spanish giants and reigning Premier League champions know each other incredibly well after several huge meetings in Europe over recent years.
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Manchester City versus Real Madrid is a fixture you would expect to see in the semi-finals or final of the UEFA Champions League.
However, after a remarkably unpredictable league phase, these two giants of European football will collide in the first ever edition of the play-offs.
City only secured their place in the knockout stages during the final round of league phase fixtures, beating Club Brugge 3-1 to secure 22nd place in the table.
Madrid also struggled in the new format, ultimately settling for 11th place and missing out on automatic progression to the last 16 by a point.
Despite playing in different countries, the two teams know each other very well, having gone head-to-head in each of the last three Champions League campaigns.
With that in mind, let's have a closer look at how the previous meetings turned out.
Manchester City v Real Madrid head-to-head record
Tuesday night's first leg will be the 13th time these two iconic clubs have faced each other in the UEFA Champions League - and the seventh time in four seasons.
City currently boast the better record in the fixture, having won four of those matches.
Los Blancos may be the more experienced party in European competitions, but they have only beaten City three times since their first meeting during the 2012/13 group stages, drawing five.
Madrid came out on top in that initial encounter, defeating their English rivals 3-2, but City were able to secure a 1-1 draw in the return fixture at Etihad Stadium.
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They met again three seasons later, but this time it was in the semi-finals. The first leg finished 0-0, but Madrid's experience showed in the second as the eventual winners edged a closely-fought match 1-0.
City got their revenge during the 2019/20 campaign, winning 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu before booking their place in the quarter-finals with victory by the same scoreline at home.
The next meeting between Madrid and City would go down as one of the most entertaining two-legged ties in UEFA Champions League history.
In the first leg of the 2021/22 semi-finals, City edged a truly thrilling encounter at home 4-3.
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However, the European behemoths progressed to the final after securing a stunning 3-1 comeback win in the Spanish capital thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Rodrygo and an extra-time winner from Karim Benzema.
City were on top the following season, as they drew 1-1 in Spain before thrashing Los Blancos 4-0 in Manchester to book their place in the final.
They would go on to win their first ever UEFA Champions League title that season, but Madrid would be the club to end the defence of their crown.
The Spanish side won 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-finals last term after a 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu and a 1-1 draw in Manchester.
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