City make four changes for Madrid clash | OneFootball

City have lost three of their last four UEFA Champions League games against Real Madrid (W1), as many defeats as they suffered against them through their first 12 meetings in the competition (W4 D5 L3).

Real Madrid are looking to eliminate City from the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for a fifth time (previously in 2015-16, 2021-22, 2023-24 and 2024-25); only Bayern Munich have been eliminated by an opponent on more than five occasions in the knockout stages of the competition (7 v Real Madrid).

Pep Guardiola hasn’t seen his side progress from a UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie after losing the first leg since the 2014-15 quarter-finals with Bayern Munich (7-4 on aggregate v FC Porto), failing to advance in each of the five instances since then, and in all three with current club City.

Real Madrid have won the first leg of a two-legged knockout stage tie by 3+ goals on 36 occasions in major European competition – no side has ever eliminated them in the second leg in that scenario (35 attempts).

Álvaro Arbeloa could become the first Real Madrid manager to win each of his four UEFA Champions League knockout stage matches. Arbeloa is one of only two to win his first three, along with Carlo Ancelotti.

Along with scoring all three of his team’s goals in the 3-0 win, Frederic Valverde completed more dribbles (4), won more duels (11) and made more tackles (4) than any other Real Madrid player in the first leg against Manchester City last week.

Real Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch – who was making his first start in the competition – completed all 18 of his passes under high-intensity pressure against Manchester City last time out. This was the most with a 100% completion rate of any player across the first legs of this season’s round of 16.