Real Madrid vs Manchester City (Champions League Last-16): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch | OneFootball

After a stellar performance in their 1-3 win over Newcastle United to reach the quarter-final stage of the FA Cup, Manchester City turn attentions to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages to face a familiar opponent in Real Madrid. 

City beat Newcastle for a fourth time in five meetings this season, as an Omar Marmoush brace and a bizarre Savinho goal were enough to take the Sky Blues into the last-eight of the competition.

The visitors went a goal down after 18 minutes when Harvey Barnes struck his shot into the far corner and beyond James Trafford. Newcastle dominated the majority of the first period, but Savinho got City back on level terms six minutes before half time after meeting Jeremy Doku’s cross at the back post.

The Blues then got the perfect start to the second half and took the lead after Marmoush’s first-time strike in the six-yard box pierced into the roof of the net. The Egyptian then killed the game off after a thunderous effort into the top left corner that Aaron Ramsdale had no chance in stopping. 

Nico O’Reilly returned to the Manchester City line-up after picking up a knock away to Leeds United, while Erling Haaland was absent from the trip to Tyneside but is expected to return for the journey to the Spanish capital. 

Pep Guardiola received a booking on the touchline for dissent in the second half, and will now miss Manchester City’s Premier League match away to West Ham on Saturday night, as well as the FA Cup quarter-final tie.

But as the UEFA Champions League returns, the Blues will face 15-time champions of the competition Real Madrid for a sixth time in the knockout stage from seven seasons, having already faced each other this season in the league phase, with City winning 1-2 at the Bernabeu.  

In terms of domsetic campaigns, Manchester City sit tightly in second place in the Premier League, seven points behind leaders Arsenal but do have a game in hand over the Gunners. Meanwhile, a similar situation for Los Blancos as they sit second in La Liga, trailing Barcelona by four points. 

Real Madrid come into the match off the back of a 1-2 away win over Celta Vigo, thanks to a 94th minute winner from Uruguay international Federico Valverde. 

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Manchester City’s latest visit to the Bernabeu!

Match Details

Real Madrid against Manchester City will take place at 20:00 (GMT) on Wednesday 11th March at the Bernabeu.

Match officials

UEFA have confirmed that Maurizio Mariani will referee Manchester City’s clash with Real Madrid in the Spanish capital, heading up an all-Italian team of match officials on Wednesday night.

You can check out the full team of referees appointed to this week’s fixtures below!

Team news

It is a long list of absentees for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, with seven first-team members out through injury. Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are among the most notable to be ruled out, with the former struggling with a knee injury and the latter managing a hamstring injury that could keep him out until April.  

In defence, all of Alvaro Carreras, Eder Militao and David Alaba are all expected to be sidelined, with Carreras and Alaba out with muscle injuries and Militao suffering from a tendon issue. 

Brazilian winger Rodrygo has been ruled out for the remainder of the ongoing calendar year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained against Getafe, while former Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos is unavailable with a calf injury. 

As for the visitors, Erling Haaland is expected to return to the squad after being left out for the match against Newcastle owing to targeted rest for the striker, and there are no new absentees for the Blues as Josko Gvardiol remains the only player unavailable.

Press conference quotes

Pep Guardiola and a member of Manchester City’s first-team squad are due to speak with the media from the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening.

Full coverage will be available on City Xtra‘s social channels and cityxtra.co.uk.

Head-to-Head

The last meeting between the two sides only came in December 2025, and led to Manchester City’s second-ever win at the Bernabeu, with the first coming in the round of 16 tie between the two giants in 2020.  

This week’s round of 16 tie will be the fifth season in a row that the two clubs have faced off against each other in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, with Real Madrid having the upper hand – winning three of the last four. 

Former Chelsea player Thibaut Courtois is set to face Manchester City for a 10th time as Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper, having played against the Etihad Stadium outfit seven times in his four-year spell with the London club. 

As for the head-to-head between the two clubs, it is very even as the two sides have each won five matches, with five more ending in draws. In terms of goals, there have been a staggering 51 strikes in the matches, with City having scored 26, while Madrid have scored 25. 

Statistics

Real Madrid have won six of their last eight matches in all competitions. 

Erling Haaland has scored seven Champions League goals in eight matches this season, with a scoring rate of one goal per game in Europe’s premier club competition and 56 strikes in as many games.  

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 11 matches (W9, D2). 

Vinicius Jr has seven goal contributions in nine starts in the Champions League this campaign.  

How to watch

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the match via Prime Video UK, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ and the Discovery+ app. 

Viewers residing in the United States can watch the match via Paramount+, DAZN, and USAViX. 

A full list of global TV listings can be found here! 

City Xtra will have full live coverage available on X, Facebook and Instagram throughout the matchday, with content also on cityxtra.co.uk!