Real Madrid and Manchester City will contest the latest installment of a burgeoning Champions League rivalry in the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 competition.
These teams met at this stage of the 2023 tournament, with a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu followed by a stunning performance from City in the second leg, their 4-0 win taking them to the final, where they beat Inter Milan.
Madrid and City will now meet once again over two legs in 2024, knowing that a semi-final clash with Arsenal or Bayern Munich looms for the winner. There is even the possibility of a Clasico final, with Barcelona placed on the other side of the draw at the March 15 ceremony in Nyon.
The Jugo Mobile reviews the history of this confrontation between the most successful team in the history of the competition and the team that aspires to win an unprecedented second consecutive treble in English football.
History of Real Madrid vs Man City, previous matches
The teams first met amid the relatively low stakes of the 2012/13 group stage before a semi-final showdown in 2016.
There was a tie in 2020, with the two matches separated by an unprecedented six months due to the coronavirus lockdown, before an unforgettable epic semi-final.
| Date | Local team | Away team | Result |
| 05/17/2023 | city man | real Madrid | 4-0 |
| 05/09/2023 | real Madrid | city man | 1-1 |
| 05/04/2022 | real Madrid | city man | 3-1 |
| 04/26/2022 | city man | real Madrid | 4-3 |
| 08/07/2020 | city man | real Madrid | 2-1 |
| 02/26/2020 | real Madrid | city man | 1-2 |
| 05/04/2016 | real Madrid | city man | 1-0 |
| 04/26/2016 | city man | real Madrid | 0-0 |
| 11/21/2012 | city man | real Madrid | 1-1 |
| 09/18/2012 | real Madrid | city man | 3-2 |
Real Madrid vs Man City head to head
In total, these teams have faced each other 10 times in this competition. Real Madrid has won three games, Manchester City has won four and three have ended in a draw.
City won their first Champions League title in 2023 under Pep Guardiola. Madrid has won the tournament a record 14 times in its history.
Real Madrid vs Man City (Group Stage 2012)
The clubs played out a thriller at the Santiago Bernabéu, with goalkeeper Joe Hart keeping City in the game before Edin Dzeko gave them the lead with an hour gone after a Yaya Touré breakaway.
Marcelo equalized with a deflected shot, but Aleksandar Kolarov finished off a free kick from the right.
But, in a sting of history that foreshadowed what would unfold between the teams almost a decade later, Karim Benzema equalized before Cristiano Ronaldo fired in a last-gasp winner to snatch a 3-2 win. Madrid coach José Mourinho tore his suit as he celebrated with a knee-slide on the pitch.
In the second leg, City were eliminated from the group stage for the second consecutive season. Benzema put Madrid ahead against City, who needed a victory to maintain their chances of advancing, equalized through a Sergio Agüero penalty and finished 1-1.
Real Madrid vs Man City (Semifinals 2016)
City were given a boost ahead of their first Champions League semi-final when Cristiano Ronaldo was ruled out of the first leg in Manchester.
That was the first of two intense games that were resolved when City midfielder Fernando scored his own goal at the Bernabéu, the only goal in both games.
Madrid won the first of three Champions Leagues in a row under Zinedine Zidane when they defeated Atlético Madrid on penalties in Milan.
Real Madrid vs Man City (Round of 16 2020)
City performed masterfully in a strikerless formation in Madrid, only to fall behind when Isco broke the deadlock during the second half.
Guardiola sent Raheem Sterling off the bench and reverted to a more conventional setup, with Kevin De Bruyne crossing for Gabriel Jesus to equalise. Dani Carvajal then brought down Sterling for De Bruyne to seal a 2-1 first leg lead from the penalty spot.
That match was in February 2020 and unprecedented circumstances meant the Manchester match was played behind closed doors in August. Sterling gave City an early lead and Jesus secured progression to the tournament’s truncated final in Lisbon, where City collapsed to Lyon, after Benzema equalized that night.
Real Madrid vs Man City (Semifinals 2022)
Honestly, Benzema seems to enjoy the games between these two teams and almost single-handedly kept Madrid in this tie after De Bruyne and Jesus opened up an early 2-0 lead in Manchester.
Riyad Mahrez missed a magnificent chance for the third and Benzema reduced the deficit before the break. Goals from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were then pided by a sensational solo goal from Vinicius Junior. Aymeric Laporte’s late handball and a Panenka penalty from Benzema ensured City only took a 4-3 lead against Madrid.
A cautious clash at the Bernabeu looked resolved when Mahrez capped an excellent City break late in the second half. But Madrid’s taste for logic-defying comebacks in the Champions League came to light again when substitute Rodrygo’s brace forced extra time.
A more conventional penalty from Benzema in added time was enough to break City hearts.
Real Madrid vs Man City (Semifinals 2023)
City faced the match at the Bernabéu this time with a different beast in their corner: Erling Haaland. However, the Norwegian, who already had 51 goals under his belt this season, was unusually calm by his standards, as Antonio Rudiger kept him quiet. City dominated the early exchanges, but it was Real who took the lead in the 36th minute with a stunning shot from Vinicius Jr. on the edge of the area.
The second leg was a different story. Bernardo Silva gave City a deserved lead, and City proceeded to dominate every step of the way to a 4-0 victory, Manuel Akanji and Julián Álvarez scoring in the second half after Silva scored his second.
