Over the past seven seasons, Real Madrid and Manchester City have faced each other six times in UEFA Champions League knockout stages. The calendar changes, squads evolve, and new tactics emerge—but this fierce rivalry remains constant. Indeed, it now seems almost unnatural if these two giants do not meet on Europe’s biggest stage.
Their first encounter occurred in the 2012–13 group stage, followed by a semi-final clash in 2015–16. However, the true saga began in 2019–20, a period that has come to define one of the most thrilling narratives in modern European football: Real versus City.
Here is a detailed overview of the last six encounters:
| Season | Stage | Aggregate Result | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Round of 16 | Manchester City 4–2 | First leg: Real led 1–0 at 78’, but Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty turned it around. Second leg: Sterling scored early; Benzema equalised, but Jesus sealed City’s 2–1 victory. |
| 2021–22 | Semi-final | Real Madrid 6–5 | First leg at Etihad: City led 4–3 after goals from De Bruyne, Jesus, Foden and Bernardo. Second leg: Mahrez put City 5–3 ahead on aggregate, but Rodrigo’s late brace and Benzema’s extra-time penalty sent Real through to the final. |
| 2022–23 | Semi-final | Manchester City 5–1 | First leg: 1–1 draw at Bernabéu. Second leg: City dominated 4–0 at Etihad with goals from Bernardo Silva, Akanji and Julián Álvarez. |
| 2023–24 | Quarter-final | Real Madrid win (penalties) | First leg: 3–3 draw at Bernabéu. Second leg: 1–1 at Etihad; tie went to penalties where Real triumphed 4–3. |
| 2024–25 | Play-off | Real Madrid 6–3 | First leg: Real won 3–2 at Etihad despite early goals from Erling Haaland and late strikes from Bellingham and Diaz. Second leg: Bernabéu victory 3–1 with Mbappé’s hat-trick. |
| 2025–26 | Round of 16 | Real Madrid 3–0 (first leg) | First leg: Fede Valverde scored a hat-trick to give Real a commanding advantage. Second leg at Etihad: City face an uphill battle to overturn the three-goal deficit. |
The 2019–20 clash saw City overturn a late Bernabéu lead, with De Bruyne and Jesus combining brilliantly. In 2021–22, Real pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in Champions League history, denying City a final berth despite a 5–3 aggregate deficit. City exacted revenge in 2022–23 with an emphatic 4–0 second-leg win at Etihad, asserting their dominance.
The following two seasons demonstrated the unpredictability of this rivalry: Real prevailed in 2023–24 via a penalty shootout, and in 2024–25, the Spaniards edged City again in a high-scoring two-leg play-off, showcasing individual brilliance from Mbappé and Valverde.
Currently, in the 2025–26 season, Real Madrid hold a 3–0 first-leg advantage, thanks to Valverde’s hat-trick at Bernabéu. While overcoming this deficit at Etihad is a daunting task for City, nothing is impossible in this extraordinary rivalry. Every encounter continues to rewrite European football history and keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
