The Man City vs Real Madrid timeline is one of the most compelling rivalries in modern European football, a fixture that has produced some of the most dramatic Champions League nights of the past decade. Since their first competitive meeting in September 2012, these two clubs have met 18 times across all competitions, with the overall record sitting almost perfectly level — Manchester City have won six, Real Madrid seven, and five matches have ended in draws. City have scored 31 goals to Madrid’s 33, separated by the finest of margins across more than a decade of elite European competition.
Every single meeting between the two sides has come in the UEFA Champions League, which underlines just how consistently both clubs have occupied the top tier of the continental game.
All-Time H2H Record (2012–2026)
| Stat | Manchester City | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Total Wins | 6 | 7 |
| Draws | 5 | 5 |
| Goals Scored | 31 | 33 |
| Points Per Game | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Biggest Win | 4-0 (May 2023) | 3-0 (Mar 2026) |
Full Man City vs Real Madrid Timeline of Results
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 2012 | Real Madrid | 3–2 | Man City | UCL Group Stage |
| 21 Nov 2012 | Man City | 1–1 | Real Madrid | UCL Group Stage |
| 26 Apr 2016 | Man City | 0–0 | Real Madrid | UCL Semi-Final 1st Leg |
| 4 May 2016 | Real Madrid | 1–0 | Man City | UCL Semi-Final 2nd Leg |
| 26 Feb 2020 | Real Madrid | 1–2 | Man City | UCL Round of 16 1st Leg |
| 7 Aug 2020 | Man City | 2–1 | Real Madrid | UCL Round of 16 2nd Leg |
| 26 Apr 2022 | Man City | 4–3 | Real Madrid | UCL Semi-Final 1st Leg |
| 4 May 2022 | Real Madrid | 3–1 | Man City | UCL Semi-Final 2nd Leg |
| 9 May 2023 | Real Madrid | 1–1 | Man City | UCL Semi-Final 1st Leg |
| 17 May 2023 | Man City | 4–0 | Real Madrid | UCL Semi-Final 2nd Leg |
| 9 Apr 2024 | Real Madrid | 3–3 | Man City | UCL Quarter-Final 1st Leg |
| 17 Apr 2024 | Man City | 1–1 (pens) | Real Madrid | UCL Quarter-Final 2nd Leg |
| 11 Feb 2025 | Man City | 2–3 | Real Madrid | UCL Playoff 1st Leg |
| 19 Feb 2025 | Real Madrid | 3–1 | Man City | UCL Playoff 2nd Leg |
| 10 Dec 2025 | Real Madrid | 1–2 | Man City | UCL League Phase |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Real Madrid | 3–0 | Man City | UCL Last-16 1st Leg |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Man City | 1–2 | Real Madrid | UCL Last-16 2nd Leg |
Era-by-Era Breakdown
| Era | Matches | City Wins | Madrid Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2016 (Group/Semis) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 (Round of 16) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 (Semi-Finals) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 (Semi-Finals) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 (Quarter-Finals) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 (Playoffs) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025–26 (Last 16) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
H2H by Venue
| Venue | Matches | Home Wins | Away Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etihad Stadium | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Santiago Bernabeu | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Top Scorers in the H2H
| Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 6 |
| Erling Haaland | Man City | 4 |
| Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | 4 |
| Bernardo Silva | Man City | 3 |
| Sergio Aguero | Man City | 2 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Man City | 2 |
Key Moments in the Man City vs Real Madrid Timeline
The rivalry opened with a 3–2 Real Madrid win at the Bernabeu in September 2012. City held two separate leads that evening but Jose Mourinho’s side found late goals through Marcelo, Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the points. City went on to finish bottom of their Champions League group that season without a win.
The 2016 semi-final produced two tight, cautious legs. The first leg at the Etihad ended goalless — still the only 0–0 in the entire fixture’s history. Real Madrid edged the second leg 1–0 through a Fernando own goal and went on to win the Champions League that season under Zinedine Zidane.
The 2020 round of 16, played during the Covid-19 pandemic in Lisbon, saw City eliminate Madrid convincingly across two legs, winning 4–2 on aggregate with Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus among the scorers.
The 2022 semi-final produced one of the most extraordinary nights in Champions League history. City won the first leg 4–3, appeared to have secured the tie deep into added time in Madrid before a stunning Rodrygo brace forced extra time, and Benzema converted a penalty to send Real through 6–5 on aggregate.
City responded ruthlessly in 2023, producing a dominant 4–0 victory in the Etihad second leg to advance 5–1 on aggregate and go on to win the treble that season.
The 2024 quarter-final delivered another classic first leg — a 3–3 draw at the Bernabeu with spectacular long-range strikes — before the Etihad second leg ended 1–1 after extra time. A Bernardo Silva penalty miss handed Real Madrid the tie on spot kicks.
Madrid have been dominant since, eliminating City in the 2025 playoffs and again in the 2025–26 Last 16 with a 3–0 first leg win and a 2–1 victory in Manchester to progress 5–1 on aggregate.
The Man City vs Real Madrid timeline has no clearly dominant side across its full span. Both clubs have eliminated each other in knockout rounds multiple times, and with Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti having shaped this rivalry for years, every chapter adds to what is now the defining club fixture of the modern Champions League era.