Hear from Real Madrid executives about their consecutive five-year UEFA Champions League clashes with Manchester City.
On 27 Feb 2025 GMT+7, the draw for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 revealed that Real Madrid will once again face key rivals Manchester City, marking their fifth consecutive meeting this season.
Across 15 meetings, Real Madrid has won 6, drawn 4, and lost 5. The teams have met six times in Champions League knockout rounds, with the Spanish side advancing four times and Manchester City progressing twice, in 2020 and 2023.
However, focusing on the last four seasons, Real Madrid has advanced three times, while in their most recent qualifying encounter this season, Manchester City secured a 2-1 away victory at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
“It’s quite unusual that every season we face them. This should be the fifth consecutive year we meet Manchester City,” said the executive.
The Real Madrid official acknowledged the opponent’s strength and quality, especially under Pep Guardiola, who has a wealth of player options. This means Real Madrid must perform well at home in Santiago Bernabéu to gain an advantage before the away leg.
“Every time we play them, it’s an offensive game, with both teams eager to control the match, often resulting in many goals. So this will be one of the best football matches the world will see.”
Despite challenges, Butragueño expressed confidence that Real Madrid is ready to meet the challenge, emphasizing the Champions League’s great importance to the club and trusting the players’ ability to respond to this major competition.