Manchester City vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Match Stats Preview
Manchester City have only lost one of their last five meetings with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (W3 D1), all of which have come under Pep Guardiola. They were winless in their first four games against them in the competition between 2012 and 2016 (D2 L2).
Real Madrid are winless in their previous four away games against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League (D2 L2), losing each of the last two. The only team they have faced more times away from home in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League without ever winning is Milan (seven games – D2 L5).
Real Madrid have won their last two away games against English sides in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages (both this season). Only one team has ever won three consecutive away trips to English sides in the knockout stages of the competition, with Barcelona doing so between 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 25 home games in the UEFA Champions League (W23 D2), with Lyon in September 2018 being the last away side to win there. Only two teams in the history of the competition have had a longer unbeaten home run: 38 games for Barcelona (2013-2020) and 29 games for Bayern Munich (1998-2002).
This will be Carlo Ancelotti’s 191st game as a manager in the UEFA Champions League, the outright most of any coach in the competition’s history (overtaking Alex Ferguson, 190). This will also be Ancelotti’s 50th game in charge of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, becoming just the second manager to reach 50+ games with two teams (73 with Milan), along with Pep Guardiola (73 Man City, 50 Barcelona).
Manchester City have been eliminated in two of their previous three UEFA Champions League semi-final ties, with both coming against Real Madrid (2015-16 and 2021-22). Should they fail to progress here, it would be the first time that a team have been eliminated by the same side in the semi-finals in consecutive UEFA Champions League campaigns.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has scored 35 goals in 28 appearances in the UEFA Champions League. 27 of those have been netted when Haaland’s only involvement in the sequence of play leading up to the goal was in scoring the goal itself – indeed, no player has scored more via these direct goal involvements since his debut in the competition in 2019-20.
Real Madrid’s VinÃcius Júnior has been directly involved in 12 goals in 11 UEFA Champions League appearances this season, scoring seven goals and providing five assists. The Brazilian also leads all players in the competition this term for involvement in open play sequences that end in goals (14) and shots (76).
No player has generated more shots following a carry (moving 5+ metres with the ball) in the UEFA Champions League this season than Manchester City’s Jack Grealish (23 – eight shots and 15 chances created). Indeed, his 15 chances created following a carry is the outright-most of any player this term.
Among players with 500+ minutes played in the UEFA Champions League this season, the two players with the highest share of their total passes being line-breaking passes are Real Madrid pair Toni Kroos (24%) and Luka Modric (22%).
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