Madrid Hold Slim Advantage as City Seek Historic Comeback
Real Madrid head into Wednesday’s Champions League play-off second leg with a 3-2 aggregate lead over Manchester City, who must overturn their deficit at the Santiago Bernabeu to progress.
City appeared poised to take a narrow 2-1 advantage back to Madrid but faltered late on at the Etihad, conceding twice in the dying moments to hand the 15-time European champions the upper hand. Pep Guardiola’s side displayed impressive spells of dominance but once again showed vulnerability under pressure.
However, City enter Wednesday’s clash buoyed by their 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle at the weekend, inspired by Omar Marmoush’s hat-trick. Meanwhile, Madrid’s domestic struggles continued with a 1-1 draw at Osasuna, where Jude Bellingham saw red for dissent, though his suspension does not affect European competition.
Match Details
📍 Location: Madrid, Spain
🏟 Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
📅 Date: Wednesday, 19 February
⏰ Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
👤 Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
🎥 VAR: Dennis Johan Higler (NED)
Head-to-Head (Last Five Meetings)
- Real Madrid: 2 Wins
- Man City: 1 Win
- Draws: 2
- Last Meeting: Man City 2-3 Real Madrid (11 February 2025) – Champions League
Recent Form (All Competitions)
Real Madrid
- 15/02/25: Osasuna 1-1 Real Madrid
- 11/02/25: Man City 2-3 Real Madrid
- 08/02/25: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid
- 05/02/25: Leganes 2-3 Real Madrid
- 01/02/25: Espanyol 1-0 Real Madrid
Man City
- 15/02/25: Man City 4-0 Newcastle
- 11/02/25: Man City 2-3 Real Madrid
- 08/02/25: Leyton Orient 1-2 Man City
- 02/02/25: Arsenal 5-1 Man City
- 29/01/25: Man City 3-1 Club Brugge
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti has received a boost with Antonio Rudiger returning from injury and likely starting at centre-back. Lucas Vazquez is also fit but won’t be in the starting XI, while David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal remain sidelined.
🔮 Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Courtois; Valverde, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Camavinga, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe.
Manchester City
City will be without Manuel Akanji, who suffered an injury in the first leg, but Jack Grealish, Nathan Ake, and Ruben Dias have all returned to training. Dias is expected to start alongside John Stones in defense.
Both Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva were rested at the weekend and should return, while Omar Marmoush is a guaranteed starter after his hat-trick against Newcastle. Erling Haaland is expected to play despite a minor knee issue.
🔮 Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Bernardo; Savinho, De Bruyne, Marmoush; Haaland.
Match Prediction: Can City Overturn Their Deficit?
Madrid are not an invincible force this season, but their Champions League DNA remains unmatched. City played well in patches last week but were ultimately punished by Madrid’s clinical finishing.
History suggests that even Guardiola’s best teams have struggled at the Bernabeu, with City’s only win at this venue coming in 2020 just before the pandemic. Madrid thrive in chaotic matches, and given how both sides tend to relinquish control, expect another goal-filled encounter.
🔮 Prediction: Real Madrid 4-2 Man City (Agg. 7-4)
Madrid’s lethal attack, led by Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Jude Bellingham, should see them through, while City’s fragile defense may struggle to contain their hosts.
