With a trip to the final on the line, Manchester City and Real Madrid will meet in the Champions League knockout stage once again.
City got the better of Real in their last meeting: a pandemic-delayed quarterfinal in 2020 when City scored a pair of 2–1 wins to advance on a 4–2 aggregate. However, Real Madrid eliminated City in the 2016 semifinals on a tight 1–0 aggregate en route to its first of three straight Champions League titles.
The Spanish giants have endured quite the journey to the semifinals — and it they won the final it could be considered one of the most impressive runs of all time.
In the round of 16, a second-half hat trick from Karim Benzema in the second leg erased a 2–0 aggregate deficit and stunned a powerhouse PSG side. Then, in the quarterfinals, Real eliminated defending champion Chelsea in extra time after blowing a 3–1 aggregate lead.
Next up is a Man City team that many consider to be the Champions League favorite along with Premier League rival Liverpool. The Pep Guardiola-led side won its group with PSG before thrashing Sporting Lisbon in the round of 16. Then, City held on for a scrappy 1-0 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid in the quarterfinals.
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Now it turns its attention to the Spanish capital’s traditional European power. Real Madrid has not won in its last three trips to Manchester City, although it did end a five-game losing streak on English soil with the win over Chelsea in the quarter-finals first leg.
Stay tuned here for live updates and highlights of goals and key plays from throughout the match (refresh for most recent updates).
Here are the lineups for both sides:
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