The Madrid club began with three wins, but then lost every second match

In the Champions League Round of 16, the second leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid will take place on March 17, 2026. Guardiola will try to outsmart his inexperienced opponent, but there’s a lot to come back from.

The giants find themselves in similar situations, but their managements took different approaches. In 2025, Guardiola also failed to win any trophies. However, his position remained secure, and now Pep and his squad are pushing Arsenal in the Premier League title race and hoping to beat them in the League Cup final.

Florentino Pérez, after last spring’s defeats in all competitions, replaced Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso. However, Alonso added to the setbacks with failures at the Club World Cup and in the January Super Cup—after that, the former midfielder left. Arbeloa made his debut with a cup defeat to Albacete. On the other hand, Barcelona no longer dominate La Liga as before.

In the Champions League, Haaland and company also had some notable slip-ups: they dropped points in Monaco, lost at home to Bayer, and lost away to Bodø/Glimt. But they won the other matches—including a 2-1 win on Spanish soil. As a result, the English side only started their knockout stage campaign last week.

The Madrid club began with three wins, but then lost every second match. In the last round, they were beaten 2-4 by Benfica, conceding a goal to the goalkeeper in stoppage time. However, they immediately took revenge against the Portuguese side, beating them twice—though both wins were controversial. Against the English side, it was unexpectedly easier: a 3-0 rout thanks to a Valverde hat-trick.

Previous Matches: Manchester City vs Real Madrid

The clubs have played each other regularly in recent times. In February’s previous knockout stage, the Spaniards won twice. But in December, they lost 1-2 at home.

The English side are expected to win, but not to stage a full comeback. There should be no lack of excitement—bet on “total over 3.0 goals” (odds – 1.8).

Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Key Statistics and Trends
Manchester City have won five out of nine matches in the tournament
The club scores an average of 1.67 goals and concedes 1.33
Real Madrid have won four out of five Champions League matches
The team scores an average of 2.45 goals and concedes 1.18
Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Probable Starting Lineups
Manchester City play with a 1-4-1-3-2 formation (probable lineup): Donnarumma – O’Riley, Guehi, Ruben Dias, Khusanov – Rodri Hernandez, Doku, Bernardo Silva, Savinho – Haaland, Semenyo. Kovacic and Gvardiol are still not ready to return.

Real Madrid play with a 1-4-4-2 formation (probable lineup): Courtois – Mendy, Heisen, Rüdiger, Alexander-Arnold – Güler, Tchouaméni, Pitarch, Valverde – Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Junior. It’s uncertain whether Mbappé will be risked. Militão, Rodrygo, and Carreras will definitely miss out, and Bellingham is also unlikely to return home.