As everyone was expecting, Real Madrid will once again face Manchester City in the Champions League. There was a 50% chance of this being the case, Bodø/Glimt, who've already beaten the Citizens in 2026 were the other option, but the inevitable happened at UEFA HQ in Nyon on Friday. "Let's act shocked" was the general sentiment from supporters.
Following these two legs, the pair will have faced each-other 13 times in the 2020s already. In fact, across the last five seasons, there are only six clubs Man City have played with a greater frequency.
Clubs Manchester City have faced the most since 21/22 season
Opponent | Occasions met since August 2021 |
|---|---|
Newcastle United | 15* |
Manchester United | 13 |
Liverpool | 13 |
Chelsea | 12 |
Arsenal | 12* |
Tottenham Hotspur | 12 |
Real Madrid | 11* |
Note: *This table includes fixtures that will take place during March 2026.
So, playing Real Madrid may feel monotonous for many Man City fans, but their team have to be favourites to progress. As recently as December, Pep Guardiola's team were 2-1 winners at the Bernabéu; Nico O'Reilly cancelling out Rodrygo's opener, before Erling Braut Håland converted a spot-kick. Especially with the second leg at the Etihad, the Citizens will surely fancy their chances against a los Merengues team who've already changed manager and lost eight matches so far this season. However, assuming the Sky Blues do progress, their path to Budapest could not be much tougher.
Manchester City challenged to win the Champions League the hard way
As well as being drawn alongside Real Madrid in the last 16, the Citizens have landed on the certainly more challenging side of the bracket. Here's who Guardiola's side will have to beat to be at the Puskás Aréna come the end of May:
Manchester City's potential Champions opponents:
- Round of 16: Real Madrid.
- Quarter-finals: Atalanta or Bayern Munich.
- Semi-finals: PSG, Chelsea, Liverpool or Galatasaray.
Every single Champions League winner from the last decade finds themselves on the silver side of the bracket, with Barcelona, Arsenal and maybe Atlético the strongest outfits on the opposite side. This could have ramifications for Man City's hopes of silverware in three other competitions too, with a potentially nightmarish fixture list in March and April:
Manchester City's potential fixture list (28 February-19 April)
- Saturday 28 February. Leeds United (A). Premier League. Kick off 5:30pm.
- Wednesday 4 March. Nottingham Forest (H). Premier League. Kick off 7:30pm.
- Saturday 7 March. Newcastle United (A). FA Cup fifth round. Kick off 8:00pm.
- Wednesday 11 March. Real Madrid (A). Champions League last 16. Kick off 8:00pm.
- Saturday 14 March. West Ham United (A). Premier League. Kick off TBC.
- Tuesday 17 March. Real Madrid (H). Champions League last 16. Kick off 8:00pm.
- Sunday 22 March. Arsenal (N). Carabao Cup Final. Kick off 4:30pm.
- 4/5 April. Possible FA Cup quarter-final.
- 7/8 April. Possible Champions League quarter-final. Atalanta or Bayern Munich (H).
- 11/12 April. Chelsea (H). Premier League. Kick off TBC.
- 14/15 April. Possible Champions League quarter-final. Atalanta or Bayern Munich (A).
- 18/19 April. Arsenal (H). Premier League. Kick off TBC.
In March, ahead of the EFL Cup Final, Manchester City will welcome Real Madrid to the Etihad while, simultaneously, Arsenal will host Bayer Leverkusen in what appears a more gentle fixture.
Similarly, when the top two meet again at the Etihad in mid-April in a potential title decider, the Gunners may have the edge. Assuming both reach the last eight of the Champions League, Man City would, more than likely, have a trip to Bayern Munich the mid-week before, while Mikel Arteta's team will be hosting either Bodø/Glimt or Sporting.
Thus, in summary, this draw could not have gone much worse for Man City, but they believe they are the best team in Europe, so the challenge is now to show that this remains the case.