Manchester City have sidestepped Bayern Munich but will now face Real Madrid in the 2024-2025 Champions League play-off round, according to the draw held on January 31.
When midfielder Thiago Alcantara’s draw revealed Real Madrid—City’s eventual opponent—the legendary Emilio Butragueno remained stoic, even as the reigning champions prepared to face arguably the toughest rival possible. In contrast, when Alcantara’s draw pitted Bayern against Celtic, the representatives of “Hùm Xám” repeatedly mimicked expressions of dismay.
Alcantara can take satisfaction in knowing that his former club avoided a clash with Manchester City, while neutral fans are set to witness two of Europe’s most dominant teams in recent years eliminating one another just before the round of 16. The forthcoming showdown between superstar forwards Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe promises to be thrilling, as does the tactical duel between the great managers Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.
Historically, Manchester City have met Real Madrid 12 times—recording 4 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses. The two sides have crossed paths in five Champions League knockout rounds, with City advancing twice and Real three times.
In each of the last four seasons, Manchester City have encountered Real Madrid during the Champions League knockouts. City suffered a narrow defeat in the quarter-finals in 2022, then secured a commanding victory in the semi-finals in 2023. Last year, Real Madrid ousted City in the quarter-finals via a penalty shootout.
Real Madrid have reached the round of 16 in an impressive 28 consecutive Champions League seasons, while Manchester City have maintained this achievement in their last 11 campaigns. One of these teams will see this remarkable streak come to an end—largely because Pep Guardiola’s squad underperformed in the group stage, finishing 22nd in their group, while Real Madrid also fell short of expectations by ending in 11th place. Even before the draw, Manchester City knew that their next opponent would be either Bayern or Real.