Man City vs Real Madrid, UCL 2024-25: H2H Record, Playing XI, Key Facts

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The two most recent UEFA Champions League winners, Manchester City and Real Madrid, will battle for a spot in the last 16 in Tuesday's highly anticipated first-leg clash at the Etihad Stadium. While Madrid narrowly missed direct qualification to the knockout stage, City had to stage a dramatic comeback on the final matchday to keep their European dreams alive.

City, once a dominant force in Europe with an impressive 22-match unbeaten UCL run between 2022 and 2024, struggled to replicate that success this season. After winning just two of their first seven games, Guardiola's side avoided an early exit with a crucial 3-1 win over Club Brugge.

Man City vs Real Madrid Head-to-Head Stats

Man City vs Real Madrid Team News

Manchester City

Man City suffered an injury setback as Nico Gonzalez was forced off during the FA Cup match against Leyton Orient. Guardiola provided no update on his condition, but he now joins Bobb, Ake, Doku, and Ederson on the doubtful list, while Rodri remains out long-term with an ACL injury.

Kevin De Bruyne, expected to start, is on the verge of Champions League history, aiming for his ninth goal contribution against Madrid, the most by any player in the competition.

Real Madrid

Madrid, on the other hand, faces a defensive crisis. Lucas Vazquez's hamstring injury adds to the absence of Rudiger, Carvajal, Militao, and Alaba. Adding to their concerns, several key players, including Bellingham, Modric, Camavinga, Endrick, and Tchouameni, are one booking away from suspension.

Despite these challenges, Ancelotti is set to field his strongest lineup, with Tchouameni likely to deputize in defense alongside young prospect Raul Asencio.

Man City vs Real Madrid Full Squad

Manchester City: Stefan Ortega, Ederson, Scott Carson, Spike Brits, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Vitor Reis, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Abdukodir Khusanov, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Max Alleyne, Rico Lewis, Claudio Echeverri, Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish, Nicolas Gonzalez, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, Nico O'Reilly, James McAtee, Omar Marmoush, Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Divin Mubama

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Fran Gonzalez, Sergio Mestre, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Jesus Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, Youssef Lekhedim, Jacobo Ramon, Raul Asencio, David Jimenez, Lorenzo Aguado, Diego Aguado, Mario Rivas, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Lucas Vazquez, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Diaz, Chema Andres, Hugo De Llanos, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Endrick, Gonzalo Garcia, Daniel Yanez, Victor Munoz, Pol Fortuny

Man City vs Real Madrid Key Aspects

Since barely scraping through the UCL group stage, City's form has been unconvincing. Following a 5-1 thrashing by Arsenal in the Premier League, they labored to a narrow 2-1 FA Cup win over Leyton Orient. However, they have managed seven victories in their last 10 matches and have scored in 13 consecutive games.

City's home record remains strong in 2025, having secured dominant wins over Chelsea, Club Brugge, Salford City, and West Ham United at the Etihad. A fifth consecutive home victory across all competitions would mark their longest such run since 2023.

Real Madrid, despite their rich European pedigree, faced an underwhelming group stage, losing three of their first five matches. They recovered with victories over Atalanta, Salzburg, and Brest, finishing just short of an automatic last-16 spot, highlighting their inconsistency in Europe this season.

Domestically, Madrid's form has been mixed. After a 3-0 win over Brest, they experienced a win, a draw, and a defeat across La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Their latest fixture ended in a controversial 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid, keeping them atop La Liga but raising concerns over their finishing.

Man City vs Real Madrid Predicted XI

Man City Probable XI: Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland

Real Madrid Probable XI: Courtois; Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Camavinga, Modric; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe