Champions League: Real Madrid and Man City Resume Epic Rivalry

Real Madrid players celebrate after wining the Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)
Real Madrid players celebrate after wining the Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)
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Champions League: Real Madrid and Man City Resume Epic Rivalry

Real Madrid players celebrate after wining the Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)
Real Madrid players celebrate after wining the Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)

It’s become a familiar sight in elite European football: Real Madrid vs. Manchester City.

The Champions League's most engrossing rivalry in recent years will resume in a two-legged playoff next month to reach the round of 16.

It is an unusually early meeting between these two giants — but the fourth year in a row in which they've clashed. And to underline its importance, the winner in each of the three years has gone on to win the competition. The stakes are that high.

"It looks like a derby already, four years in a row facing Madrid," City manager Pep Guardiola said Friday. "The draw could be nicer, yes."

Champions League lifeline Holder Madrid and 2023 champion City are only meeting now because they made such hard work of the competition's new-look format.

City went into the final round of games in the 36-team league phase needing to win just to secure the lifeline of a playoff.

Madrid finished 11th, with the top eight automatically advancing to the round of 16.

Both teams had flirted with elimination, with Madrid losing against Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool. City suffered defeats to Sporting Lisbon, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

Both recovered in time to stay alive in European club soccer's elite competition — but having been drawn against each other, are now realizing the consequences of those poor runs in the league phase.

On the up Record 15-time champion Madrid has won nine of its last 11 games and Kylian Mbappe is on fire after enduring some difficult moments following his move from PSG.

The France international has scored 12 goals in his last 13 games and alongside Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, he is part of one of the most thrilling attacks in Europe.

City has also improved in recent weeks after recovering from a midseason slump that saw it win just once in 13 games from October to December — a run that included nine losses.

The four-time defending Premier League champion is unbeaten in six in the league.

Epic battles

It would be hard to top the drama of two thrilling clashes when Madrid and City met in the semifinals of 2022.

City dominated the first leg at the Etihad, yet only took a slender 4-3 lead to the Bernabeu.

City then looked to be cruising to the final when 1-0 up in the second leg and two ahead on aggregate going into the 90th minute.

That was until a stunning comeback from Madrid, with Rodrygo scoring twice to force extra time and Karim Benzema converting a winning penalty in the 95th minute. Madrid went on to beat Liverpool in the final.

City avenged that result when they met in the semifinals again a year later. A 4-0 win at the Etihad sealed a 5-1 victory on aggregate as Guardiola's team went on to lift the trophy for the first time by beating Inter Milan in the final.

Another year, another clash of the titans and in 2024 it was Madrid that prevailed in the quarterfinals.

A 3-3 draw at the Bernabeu was followed by a 1-1 at the Etihad and a penalty shootout in which Madrid triumphed.

A 15th European Cup soon followed with Madrid beating Borussia Dortmund in the final.

This will be the seventh time the teams have met in the Champions League since 2012 and there has been little to separate them.

Madrid beat City in the semifinals in 2016, while City came out on top when they faced off in the round of 16 four years later.

They played in the old group stage in 2012. In one of those games Madrid won 3-2 at the Bernabeu thanks to two late goals from Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The winner will play either Atletico Madrid or German champion Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.



Ronaldo and Al-Nassr Chase Asian Glory as Saudi Clubs Dominate

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
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Ronaldo and Al-Nassr Chase Asian Glory as Saudi Clubs Dominate

Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)
Football - Saudi Pro League - Al-Wehda v Al-Nassr - King Abdulaziz Stadium, Makkah, Saudi Arabia - February 25, 2025 Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo can take a major step towards the Asian Champions League elite title in Iran on Monday, though Al-Nassr is not the only Saudi Arabian club in contention for the big prize.

Ronaldo has yet to win a major trophy since signing for the Riyadh club in December 2022 and victory over Esteghlal of Tehran in the two-legged Round of 16 tie would mean a place in the last eight for Al-Nassr.

The 40-year-old has won five UEFA Champions Leagues while Al-Nassr has yet to win one in Asia.

Domestically Al-Nassr is off the pace and its latest setback — a 2-1 defeat at Al-Orubah on Friday — saw it slip into fourth in the Saudi Pro League and increase the pressure on coach Stefano Pioli.

“We had many chances but could not score,” said Pioli. “We have a lot of games in a short period of time and only had two days rest before this game and now we have to get ready for another one in the Asian Champions League.”

Ronaldo has been in good form in Asia scoring six goals in the group stage, helping Al-Nassr finish third in a 12-team group behind two other Saudi Arabian clubs.

Al-Hilal seeking fifth ACL title

Nassr’s Riyadh rival Al-Hilal won the group stage and continues its quest for a record fifth continental title against Pakhatkor of Uzbekistan.

With talent such as Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves of Portugal as well as Brazilian stars Marcos Leonardo, Kaio Cesar and Malcom, Hilal is the strong favorite to beat the Central Asian team who won only one of eight games in the group stage.

Al-Ahli finished second in the group and meets Qatar’s Al-Rayyan. Former English Premier League star Ivan Toney in fine form as he scored a hat trick on Friday as Al-Ahli won 3-2 at Al-Hilal.

Elsewhere, two-time champion Al-Sadd of Qatar faces Al-Wasl from the United Arab Emirates.

Japanese clubs rising in the east

None of the eight teams in the eastern zone, the tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the quarterfinal stage, have won the tournament before.

The three Japanese teams strolled through the group stage however. Yokohama F. Marinos will meet former coach Kevin Muscat, now in charge of Shanghai Port. Kawasaki Frontale travels to Shanghai Shenhua and Vissel Kobe hosts Gwangju FC, South Korea’s sole representative. The remaining tie is a Southeast Asian affair as Buriram United of Thailand meets Malaysia’s Johor Darul Tazim.

The final will be held in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on May 4.