Another Real Madrid-Man City clash is far from boring - Spanish and English giants have built the Champions League's most enthralling rivalry

The 15 competitive matches between Madrid and City have thrown up 51 goals, an average of 3.4 per game. With three notable exceptions, this fixture has been unmissable.

Indeed, the very first meeting in the group stage of the 2012-13 season provided a taste of things to come. Five goals were scored in the final 22 minutes at the Bernabeu, with City twice taking the lead as Aleksandar Kolarov made it 2-1 in the 86th minute. Liam Gallagher celebrated so wildly in the home end that he was thrown out of the stadium by police.

But there was plenty more to come, with Karim Benzema equalising and then Cristiano Ronaldo striking in the 90th minute to snatch a 3-2 win and spark one of Jose Mourinho's most iconic celebrations, rushing from his technical area to produce a knee slide on the pitch that muddied his shiny suit.

The return fixture wasn't quite as exciting and ended in a 1-1 draw which meant City were knocked out in the group stage, something which hasn't happened since. That night Alvaro Arbeloa, the current Madrid boss, was sent off.

The next meeting between Madrid and City didn't arrive until the 2015-16 semi-finals, though they were an undeniable damp squib as a cagey, goalless first leg in Manchester was followed by a similarly uninspiring return leg at the Bernabeu that was decided by a deflected Gareth Bale strike. Manuel Pellegrini was roundly criticised for his negative tactics as City failed to put any serious pressure on Los Blancos despite being one strike away from sneaking through to the final on the away goals rule.

That tie was, though, the exception that proved the rule as Pep Guardiola, Madrid's great nemesis both as a player and coach with Barcelona, arrived into the Etihad Stadium just one month later. The Catalan's hiring signalled City's transition from football's main emerging power to an unstoppable force that every club, even Madrid, had to reckon with.

Guardiola made his first trip to Madrid with City in February 2020 for a Champions League last-16 first leg and saw his side stage a comeback to win 2-1. The return leg did not take place for another six months, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and was played at an empty Etihad. City, helped by Raphael Varane gifting them an early goal, outplayed Madrid to win by the same scoreline.

The sides met again two years later, again in the semis but this time with fans back in stadiums. What followed were two of the most memorable matches in the competition's history: a breath-taking first leg in Manchester which finished 4-3 to City, followed by the most dramatic ending possible in the second leg, as Madrid trailed 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate heading into the 90th minute, only for Rodrygo to score twice and force extra-time before Benzema scored a penalty to send Los Blancos through.

One year later, City got their chance to avenge that heart-breaking defeat, and after a nervy 1-1 draw in the first leg featuring wonder goals from Vinicius Jr and Kevin De Bruyne, they did just that. City were utterly ruthless back at the Etihad and never looked back after Bernardo Silva gave them the lead, going on to thrash the holders and record winners 4-0 with a performance Guardiola described as the best he had ever overseen in all his years in the Champions League.

Madrid have evened the score since. The quarter-final tie in 2024 was another classic, a 3-3 draw at the Bernabeu followed by a 1-1 draw at the Etihad before Carlo Ancelotti's side triumphed on penalties. Last season's knockout play-off tie, meanwhile, was a more one-sided affair, as Madrid came from behind to win 3-2 at the Etihad before Kylian Mbappe went on the rampage in the second leg, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory. City did show how far they have come since that dark month of February by beating Madrid on their own turf in December in the league phase.

The fixture could hardly be more even: Madrid and City have won five games each while the other five have ended in draws. Since Guardiola has been coach, City have been more dominant, winning five times, drawing three while losing only three times. Madrid have had the edge, though, in knockout ties, winning four compared to City's two.

This time round, City are the favourites according to the bookmakers and are in better shape, unbeaten since losing to Bodo/Glimt in January, a period in which Madrid have lost three times while they have just lost Rodrygo for the rest of the season due to a knee injury and could be without Mbappe for at least one of the games in the tie as he manages a knee problem.

Getting one over Guardiola is Madrid's main motivation. "Pep again! Another nightmare awaits you, Guardiola!" said AS journalist and Real Madrid super-fan Tomas Roncero when the draw was announced. "Even though City are better at the moment, Madrid are in an apparent crisis and we don't know if Mbappe will play, I'm sure that when Guardiola saw the draw he must have thought: 'No, not again!'.  

"It's going to be difficult, the second leg at the Etihad. I know all that. But it's Madrid in the Champions League, our favourite competition and statistics tell you all to know. In three of the last four ties, City have gone out. There is nothing to fear. Guardiola has a lot of reasons to worry."

Guardiola's reaction to the draw suggested he was not exactly relishing playing Madrid again: "Yes, it is a little bit weird... If you want to go through in this competition right now you have to win against the best teams, otherwise you don't deserve it."

After all, the Champions League was created so the best teams could play each other. So why complain about another edition of one of the most compelling and thrilling modern European rivalries?