Man City does not have a heroic history and is not a traditional giant of European football. In complete contrast, Real Madrid is the greatest team of the 20th century, the shining pinnacle of the old continent, the pride of the football world in general. Because of that, it wasn’t until the 2012/13 season that the two teams had their first meeting.

According to statistics, so far Real Madrid and Man City have only met each other 10 times. And even more surprisingly, it is the “Green Man” who wins more with 4 times achieving good results, 3 draws and 3 times Real Madrid wins.

But in recent years, with Man City emerging as one of the leading giants in European football, the epic battles between Real Madrid and Man City have become a clash of two old and new forces. This is also the reason why this match becomes more worth watching.

The first time Man City faced Real Madrid, it was in the 2012/13 Champions League. On September 19, 2012, the green half of Manchester marched to the Bernabeu. The English team played well, standing firm in the first half and opening the score in the 69th minute.

In the 76th minute, Marcelo equalized for Real, but in the 85th minute, Kolarov put the British representative ahead again. But this is also the time when the Royal Spanish football team proves their European bravery. In the 87th and 90th minutes, after Benzema, Ronaldo scored 2 goals to help Real come back.

In the rematch at Etihad, Man City, in a situation where they had to win, only ended up with a 1-1 draw. Sadly, Man City that year fell into Group D of “death”, in addition to Real Madrid, there was also Dortmund who were at their peak with coach Jurgen Klopp and Ajax Amsterdam. In the end, “Green Man” only won 3 points, ranked bottom of the table and did not have a chance to play in the Europa League.

History belongs to Real

It took nearly 4 years after that first time for Man City and Real Madrid to play again in an official match in the European Cup (the two teams met in the 2015 ICC friendly tournament, Real won easily 4-1). But this time the situation was much different than before. “Green Man” grew continuously and then met the giant of Spanish football again in the semi-finals of the 2015/16 Champions League.

Unfortunately for Man City, this is Real Madrid’s peak period under coach Zinedine Zidane. On April 27, 2016, Man City welcomed the mighty Real Madrid at Etihad. Coach Manuel Pellegrini’s team played very hard but could not penetrate the opponent’s goal. The first leg ended with a score of 0-0.

On May 5, 2016, the two teams played again at the Bernabeu. Unfortunately, midfielder Fernando scored an own goal in the 20th minute after Gareth Bale’s cross, causing Man City to lose 0-1. Worth mentioning, this was the time when UEFA still applied the home and away goals rule. Just one equalizing goal is enough for “Green Man” to win a ticket to the final. Therefore, English football fans were even more regretful when Fernandinho shot the ball and hit the post instead of going into Real’s net.

Defeating Man City in the semi-finals, Real Madrid won tickets to play the most prestigious match. And in the final, coach Zidane’s team defeated Atletico Madrid after a penalty shootout at San Siro to win the championship. This title opened a series of 3 consecutive years of winning the Champions League for Real Madrid under coach Zidane.

So after 4 matches, Man City has never known a victory against Real Madrid. But also since the defeat in the semi-finals of the 2015/16 Champions League, Man City’s leadership has made a revolution on the coaching bench, parting ways with coach Manuel Pellegrini to appoint Pep Guardiola to the empty chair. And let’s find out how Pep’s appearance has changed the balance of power in this match.

Pep Guardiola, the man who rewrote history

The first time coach Pep Guardiola’s Man City met Real Madrid was at ICC 2017. If at ICC 2015, Real won easily 4-1, then in this match, the balance has changed. Even though coach Zidane’s team is the reigning European champion, Man City still easily won 4-1. It was like a firecracker signaling a new stage in this top competition, when the wind had changed direction.

However, it will not be until the 2019/20 Champions League that the two teams will meet again in an official match. Real Madrid is currently in decline compared to their previous self, while Man City is constantly strengthening under the hands of coach Guardiola.

Round 1/8 of Champions League 2019/20, two teams meet. The two matches ended with a total score of 4-2 in favor of the defending Premier League champion. Notably, Man City won 2-1 in both matches. The first leg took place at Etihad on February 27, 2020. However, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was not until August 8, 2020 that the two teams played the return match. This is also a notable feature surrounding the great battles Man City – Real Madrid.

At this time, Man City has grown, no longer a big team only within England, but also a giant of European football. They often advance deep in the Champions League, so their confrontation with Real Madrid is much more frequent.

In the semi-finals of the 2021/22 Champions League, Real Madrid and Man City meet in a match that is considered an early final. What happened next is proof that this became one of the most exciting and notable matches in the tournament’s history.

Currently belongs to Man City

The first leg took place at the Etihad, Man City showed off their fierce attack power. They quickly punctured the opponent from Madrid when De Bruyne opened the score in the 2nd minute. And by the 11th minute, the score was 2-0 for Man City. At that time, everyone imagined a scenario where the Royal Spanish team lost miserably and the semi-finals were decided immediately after the first leg.

But no, coach Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid is always a brave team. They ended the match with a score of 3-4. Even though they lost the match, their chances were still intact in the return match. At the Bernabeu on May 5, 2022, Real Madrid rematched Man City with the mission to win.

Even when having to be a guest at the Bernabeu, Man City still plays offensively with high confidence. In the 73rd minute, Mahrez helped the English team take the lead. And the score was 1-0 in favor of the away team until the 89th minute of the match, meaning Man City has a 2-goal advantage. On the TV screens of millions of viewers watching via small screens, Real Madrid only had a 1% chance of winning.

But that’s what makes Real Madrid brave! In the 90th and 90+1 minutes, Rodrygo’s double brought the “White Vulture” back from the dead. In extra time, Benzema sealed the victory and helped Real Madrid reach the final. They then defeated Liverpool to win the European crown. This is the 14th Champions League trophy in Real Madrid’s history, while Man City is still busy searching for its first title.

Last season, Man City had a worthy revenge. The two teams drew 1-1 at the Bernabeu before the English champions won 4-0 in the rematch at the Etihad. Turning Real Madrid into a former king, coach Pep Guardiola and his team then defeated Inter Milan in the final. Even more proud, this is a brilliant treble for Man City, because in the English domestic tournament, “The Citizens” also won the Premier League and FA Cup.

This year, the lucky vote brought the two teams to meet earlier, in the quarterfinals. Before the match, the parameters were in favor of Man City. Since being led by coach Guardiola, the English team has won 4 matches, drawn 1 and lost only 1 match (a crazy loss despite leading until the 89th minute). It is no exaggeration to say that coach Pep Guardiola is the one who rewrote the history of the heroic battles Real Madrid – Man City.