Familiar Foes! Manchester City and Real Madrid to Meet for the Fifth Straight Season in the Champions League Knockout Stage

The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw has concluded, and Manchester City have once again been paired with Real Madrid — marking the fifth consecutive season that the two sides meet in the knockout stages. As a seeded team, Manchester City will play the first leg away and the second leg at home.

According to statistics, this is the first tie in Champions League history in which two teams have faced each other in the knockout rounds for five straight seasons.

Since the 2021–22 season, Real Madrid and Manchester City have met in the Champions League knockout stages for five consecutive years. In the previous four encounters, Real Madrid progressed three times, while Manchester City advanced once.

In the history of the Champions League, the two sides have met 15 times. Within regular time, the record stands perfectly balanced at five wins each and five draws. Except for the final, they have faced each other in every stage of the competition: the group/league stage, the knockout play-offs, the Round of 16, the quarter-finals, and the semi-finals.

Following the introduction of the new Swiss-format league system, the two teams met in the newly added knockout play-off round last season. This season, they also faced each other during the league phase, where Manchester City secured a 2–1 away victory.

In the knockout stage overall, they have met six times previously. Real Madrid progressed on four occasions (2015–16, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25), while Manchester City advanced twice (2019–20, 2022–23).

Real Madrid vs Manchester City – Head-to-Head Record
2012–13 Champions League Group Stage

First leg: Real Madrid 3–2 Manchester City

Second leg: Manchester City 1–1 Real Madrid

2015–16 Champions League Semi-finals (Aggregate: Real Madrid 1–0 Manchester City)

First leg: Manchester City 0–0 Real Madrid

Second leg: Real Madrid 1–0 Manchester City

2019–20 Champions League Round of 16 (Aggregate: Manchester City 4–2 Real Madrid)

First leg: Real Madrid 1–2 Manchester City

Second leg: Manchester City 2–1 Real Madrid

2021–22 Champions League Semi-finals (Aggregate: Real Madrid 6–5 Manchester City)

First leg: Manchester City 4–3 Real Madrid

Second leg: Real Madrid 3–1 Manchester City

2022–23 Champions League Semi-finals (Aggregate: Manchester City 5–1 Real Madrid)

First leg: Real Madrid 1–1 Manchester City

Second leg: Manchester City 4–0 Real Madrid

2023–24 Champions League Quarter-finals (Aggregate: 4–4; Real Madrid won 4–3 on penalties)

First leg: Real Madrid 3–3 Manchester City

Second leg: Manchester City 1–1 (p. 3–4) Real Madrid

2024–25 Champions League Knockout Play-offs (Aggregate: Real Madrid 6–3 Manchester City)

First leg: Manchester City 2–3 Real Madrid

Second leg: Real Madrid 3–1 Manchester City

2025–26 Champions League League Phase

Matchday 6: Real Madrid 1–2 Manchester City

Five straight knockout clashes. Fifteen total meetings. A perfectly balanced rivalry — yet one that keeps producing new chapters in Champions League history.