No joy in this reunion? These Champions League giants meet again | OneFootball

The knockout stage hasn’t even started yet, but it’s already certain that one of the favorites for the Champions League trophy will have to bow out in the round of 16.

Manchester City and Real Madrid will face each other at this early stage. That’s the result of today’s Champions League round of 16 draw.

This draw is particularly noteworthy because it means that these two giants will meet in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the fifth season in a row.

Last year, Real prevailed in the playoff matches, and in 2024, the Madrid side also had the upper hand against City in the quarterfinals, ultimately winning in a penalty shootout and later claiming the title in the final.

The year before that, in 2023, City thrashed Real 4-0 in the semifinal second leg and advanced to the final, which the Skyblues won. The year before that, in the 2021/22 season, Real finally won the semifinal against the Premier League club in extra time. That season, the Blancos also went on to lift the Champions League trophy.

History shows: The winner of this duel has a pretty good chance of going on to win the title.

Since the 2019/20 season, Real and City have faced each other eleven times in the Champions League.

This season, they already met in the league phase, with City winning 2-1 in Madrid. While Pep’s team qualified directly for the round of 16, the Royals, as is well known, had to take the detour through the playoffs.

The fact that they’re meeting again right away didn’t come as a surprise to many. Above all, for Real keeper Thibaut Courtois, this draw was inevitable. He said ahead of the draw: “We all know that on Friday it’s going to be Man City in the draw – everyone knows that.”

In the end, fortune teller Courtois was proven right – the only question that remains, of course, is which team will come up short. The winner of the match will face either Atalanta, who knocked out Dortmund, or the German record champions from Munich in the quarterfinals. That’s probably not for the faint of heart.

What do you think? Who will come out on top in what feels like the 300-trillionth Champions League clash between Real and City? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 THOMAS COEX - AFP or licensors