Preview: All you need to know ahead of Man City v Real Madrid

Football writer Ben Bloom analyses the key details as Manchester City prepare to face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League for the fourth season in a row. 

A showdown between the two recent dominant forces of English and Spanish football is nothing new.

When they face each other in the UEFA Champions League this week, it will be the fourth successive season Manchester City and Real Madrid have met in the knockouts of Europe’s premier club competition.

But to do so in the playoffs is uncharted territory. With only the top eight teams in the expanded tournament's new league phase being given a direct route into the last 16, both City and Real underwhelmed.

City required a comeback win at home to Club Brugge in their final league-phase encounter to qualify for the playoffs in 22nd place, while Real lost three of their opening five matches before recovering to finish 11th.

For the fourth season running, one side’s Champions League involvement will end at the hands of the other.

It's worth noting that City's performance in the playoff round against Real may also have a knock-on impact on the Premier League’s chances of earning five Champions League spots next season, which could benefit Pep Guardiola's side, who currently occupy fifth place.

2024/25 Champions League performance

Man City | Position: 22nd

Manchester City 0-0 Inter Milan
Slovan Bratislava 0-4 Manchester City
Manchester City 5-0 Sparta Prague
Sporting 4-1 Manchester City
Manchester City 3-3 Feyenoord
Juventus 2-0 Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 Manchester City
Manchester City 3-1 Club Brugge

Real Madrid | Position: 11th 

Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart
Lille 1-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid 1-3 AC Milan
Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid
Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 5-1 Red Bull Salzburg
Brest 0-3 Real Madrid

Past meetings - all in Champions League

*Real Madrid won 4-3 on penalties

Between them, these two clubs have knocked each other out of the Champions League for three years running, with the winner of their head-to-head going on to lift the trophy on each occasion.

Last season, City paid the price for their profligacy in front of goal in the quarter-final second leg when they lost out on penalties.

The campaign before that, Guardiola had guided the club to their first Champions League trophy in their treble-winning season, when they thrashed Real 4-0 in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium to advance to the final.

The two sides had met at the same stage in 2021/22, when the Spaniards prevailed after an all-time great European tie. With City 5-3 up on aggregate heading into the 90th minute, Rodrygo struck twice to take the game to extra-time, where Real grabbed a winner.

Despite starting against Real four times, Erling Haaland is yet to score against the Spanish side, equalling his joint-longest barren run against any team. City's scorers in last season's quarter-final matches between the clubs were Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Josko Gvardiol, and Kevin De Bruyne.

Recent form

After something of a resurgence in recent weeks, City head into the match on the back of an unconvincing 2-1 triumph over League One side Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Saturday, which followed a comprehensive 5-1 Premier League loss at Arsenal.

Like their opponents, Real’s recent form has also been patchy. They scraped past Leganes 3-2 with a stoppage-time winner in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals last Wednesday, before drawing their local derby 1-1 against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

While they remain top of LaLiga, they have picked up just one point from their two most recent league matches.

Guardiola's pre-match quotes

On the tough draw: "The group stage and the knockout stage are always difficult. We have not done quite as well in the group stage so we deserve to be where we are. The draw is the draw and [we] accept the challenge."

On whether this is the era’s great Champions League rivalry: "Undoubtedly so. I would say in the last years, yes. We have won four, drawn five and lost three [of the 12 matches], so in recent times maybe. But in terms of Champions League history we cannot compare to Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich. In the last decade we have been around. But of course, in the last few years we have played a lot against them."

On Real Madrid’s attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham: "It’s impossible in 90/120/200 minutes to control these four players. They are exceptional – how they combine, the runners, the ability one against one, how they keep the ball. All four are exceptional. Everybody knows it, so you have to reduce their involvement as much as possible, knowing that it’s going to happen. Accept it."

Team news

Guardiola rested a host of players against Orient and will look to have a near-full squad to select from on Tuesday.

Ruben Dias and John Stones both played a half in that FA Cup tie, while Ederson and Nathan Ake missed out. All could be fit to face Real.

The biggest concern is for January signing Nico Gonzalez, who lasted just 20 minutes on his debut against Orient before falling awkwardly and exiting the match prematurely.

Fellow new boys Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov are available after they were added to City’s Champions League squad, which does not include Vitor Reis.

Real Madrid are facing something of a defensive injury crisis with Lucas Vazquez being the latest player to be ruled out.

Vazquez has been filling in at right-back this season in the long-term absence of Dani Carvajal.

The Spanish club are also without centre-backs Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, and Eder Militao for the trip to the Etihad Stadium.

City’s Premier League fixtures

Guardiola's side face a tricky upcoming few weeks in their battle for a top-four spot in the Premier League.

They welcome Newcastle United in between the matches against Real Madrid, before then taking on Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Nottingham Forest in their subsequent three Premier League fixtures.

Manchester City

15:00 Sat 15 Feb NEW (H) 16:30 Sun 23 Feb LIV (H) 19:30 Wed 26 Feb TOT (A) 12:30 Sat 08 Mar NFO (A) 15:00 Sat 15 Mar BHA (H)

Manchester City

15:00 Sat 15 Feb NEW (H) 16:30 Sun 23 Feb LIV (H) 19:30 Wed 26 Feb TOT (A) 12:30 Sat 08 Mar NFO (A) 15:00 Sat 15 Mar BHA (H)

UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoffs

First leg: Man City v Real Madrid, Tuesday 11 February, 20:00 GMT
Second leg: Real Madrid v Man City, Wednesday 19 February, 20:00 GMT