Manchester City v Real Madrid: The story of a Champions League 'derby' as rivals vie for trophies - and the Ballon d'Or

Manchester City v Real Madrid is the heavyweight rivalry that has defined an era in the UEFA Champions League, as the two fabled sides – led by Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti – prepare to meet each other again in Europe's elite competition. This time in the play-offs. But how did the story ignite? And what patterns might re-emerge in the 2024/25 edition?

No Filter UCL - Real Madrid edge out Man City in shoot-out on dramatic night

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"I spoke to Real Madrid players while on international duty with them, and they said sometimes because of the strength of their badge – let’s say they are trailing 2-0, 3-0 and the game is not over – they know they can do what they did in the last Champions League campaign at any time: pull off a comeback in the final five minutes of the match."

The thoughts of Manchester City winger Savinho ahead of his club facing off against Real Madrid for a barely believable fourth season in a row in the UEFA Champions League.

That theme of comebacks is one that found its most sensational exhibit in this fixture in the 2021/22 season.

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Real looked down and out as the clock ticked on a captivating semi-final, before Rodrygo struck twice in two minutes to somehow take his side into extra-time, whereupon Karim Benzema completed a ludicrous remontada.

City would get their revenge in their Treble season of 2022/23, before Madrid returned the favour last season as they secured their passage to the last four – and an eventual 15th UCL crown.

"It looks like a derby already," Pep Guardiola said when this season's knockout play-off draw was made, as, inexorably, the two came out together again.

Ahead of their latest European dust-up on Tuesday, we look back at the moments between these two sides that have defined a coruscating era.

UCL flashback: Benzema converts penalty as Real complete wild comeback

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City secure first Madrid scalp

After a couple of early skirmishes in the Champions League, the two sides had not played each other for four years when they met in 2019/20.

City had developed hugely under Guardiola in that intervening period, and they did not waste their opportunity to land a blow on Real when they clashed in the last 16.

The theme of comebacks was again to the fore in the first leg, with Kevin De Bruyne inspiring City to grab two goals late on in the Bernabeu, as Sergio Ramos was sent off.

Strikes from Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus saw City advance to the last eight, before a shock loss to Lyon left them licking their overall UCL wounds once again.

A trilogy to end all trilogies

Three seasons. Three thrillers. After avoiding each other's course in the 2020/21 season, the temporarily estranged pair came back together in 2021/22.

And the result was one of the most memorable nights in the history of the Champions League, as Real pushed the limits of plausibility in their aforementioned late salvo.

City – and Guardiola – must have wondered if they would ever conquer their European hex, but they did just that in the following year, as they swatted aside Madrid in the semis, with their second-leg 4-0 victory a stunning signal of their dominance that would see them go on to land the Treble.

Last year's two-legged encounter upped their ante once again, and it was Real – despite being on the back foot for parts of the second leg – who hung tough to progress on penalties, and that propelled them to glory against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

UCL flashback: Guardiola says City 'had a year of pain in our stomach' after reaching final

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Ballon d'Or beef

Aside from the collective rivalry, there has been growing individual spice in the shape of Rodri's Ballon d'Or battle with Vinicius, which saw the Spaniard take home the award in 2024.

Rodri won the Euros for his country – together with domestic success with City – but the decision saw Vinicius and Real Madrid refuse to attend the ceremony, believing the Brazilian had deserved it after leading Los Blancos to their UCL title.

Even Cristiano Ronaldo waded in, saying: "In my opinion, he [Vinicius] deserved to win the golden ball. It was unfair, in my opinion. I say [it] here in front of everybody," Ronaldo said.

"They gave it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final."

Rodri fired back, calling Ronaldo's intervention a "surprise", leaving an uneasy feeling between the two players – and their clubs.

With the Champions League title playing a bigger role this season in the race for the Ballon d'Or – in the absence of major international tournaments – this tie takes on perhaps an even greater significance than usual.

Highlights: Man City take down Real Madrid en route to winning 2023 Champions League

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What does this season's meeting have in store?

2021/22 - Madrid win.

2022/23 - City win.

2023/24 - Madrid win.

2024-25 - ?

While the above set of results may suggest a pattern, it feels like form and logical predictions go out the window in this new European derby/Clasico/grudge match.

City – given their mixed season to date – might come in as underdogs by most people's eye, but Madrid have stuttered recently too, losing to Espanyol in La Liga and still looking to locate a balance between attack and defence.

Savinho suggested, like many, that the latest edition of this fixture has come too early.

"I think we, as Manchester City, can’t play in the play-offs," he said.

"We should be getting into the next round more convincingly and not find ourselves in a play-off against Real Madrid – and it’s worth mentioning that Real Madrid, with all the weight their shirt carries, shouldn’t be in the play-offs either, with all due respect to the other teams."

As for what City have to do to counter the efficiency of their old foes, the Brazilian added: "We must remain focussed and score goals when we get the opportunities, as that will be quite important, too.

"It’s a lesson I learned at Girona. We played really, really well, but we didn’t convert our chances, and when an opportunity presented itself to them, they killed the game off."