Real Madrid and Manchester City renew a rivalry which has become an almost annual event as the Champions League prepares to lose one of its title favourites before the quarter-final stage. The two clubs have met each other in six of the last seven seasons, and there has been precious little to separate the pair during that time.
Both Real and City have won five matches each and five games finishing in draws, with the Spanish heavyweights scoring 26 goals and their English counterparts netting 25 times.
The most recent meeting between the two saw City claim a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu in December, with goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland cancelling out Rodrygo’s opener.
Real have since lost Rodrygo to a serious knee injury, while several other senior players such as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao and David Alaba missed Friday’s trip to Celta Vigo due to fitness issues. It remains to be seen who will return to face City , but we’re backing the first leg to finish in a draw @13/5.
Betting Odds
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Betting Odds – Champions League 2025/26
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Real Madrid | 23/10 | 30.3% |
Manchester City | EVS | 50% |
Draw | 13/5 | 27.8% |
*Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
Real Madrid are outsiders to win this match at 23/10. Manchester City are the underdogs at EVS, while the draw is priced at 13/5.
To Qualify Odds
Real Madrid - 19/10
Manchester City - 4/11
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Preview
How to Watch
How to Watch Real Madrid vs Manchester City
The Champions League last-16 first leg is scheduled to begin at 8 pm on Wednesday and will be shown live on TNT Sports 1.
Form Guide
Real Madrid Form Guide
Real missed out on an automatic spot in the Champions League last 16 after losing 4-2 to Benfica in remarkable circumstances in the final round of the league phase, Eagles goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scoring a 98th-minute winner in Lisbon . The two Iberian clubs were then paired together in the play-offs, with Real gaining revenge with a 3-1 aggregate victory, but the path to a record-extending 16th European Cup title is paved with peril.
To reach the final, Alvaro Arbeloa’s men may well have to overcome City (8/1 with BOYLE Sports to win the Champions League ), Bayern Munich (5/1) and holders Paris St Germain (9/1) in arguably the toughest draw possible. Real’s mediocre domestic form suggests they may not even need to worry about the latter stages of Europe, though.
They have suffered shock La Liga defeats to Osasuna and Getafe in recent weeks, while in January they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier Albacete in Arbeloa’s first match after replacing Xabi Alonso. A draw against City would keep things interesting heading to the Etihad, and you can get 10/3 for a score draw, or 6/1 for 1-1, which is our prediction.
Manchester City Form Guide
City lost to Real in the play-off phase last season, going out 6-3 on aggregate after being led a merry dance by four-goal Mbappe , but they managed to avoid that lottery this time by the skin of their teeth. The 2023 champions snatched the eighth and final automatic last-16 spot after beating Galatasaray 2-0 in their last match as the likes of Real, PSG and Atletico Madrid all slipped up.
Pep Guardiola’s men are still fighting for honours on multiple fronts this season, but their Premier League title hopes suffered a blow with their 2-2 draw at home to struggling Nottingham Forest , leaving them seven points behind leaders Arsenal and no longer in charge of their own fate. Erling Haaland has found goals harder to come by than before Christmas, when he was virtually unstoppable, while Phil Foden’s form is a bit of a concern for club and country.
However, other players have stepped up, and Antoine Semenyo , O’Reilly, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki have taken up the scoring mantle. City are 11/4 with a Price Boost to earn a 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 win at the Bernabeu , and if you fancy another humdinger between these two, you can get 15/2 for over 5.5 goals in total.
Betting Tips
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Betting Tips
Man City To Win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 @11/4
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