Manchester City host Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie this evening as two of Europe’s biggest clubs collide.
Manchester City managed to sneak in to the play-offs with a 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the final match of the league phase after a difficult continental campaign. Though attempts were made to strengthen the team in the January window, Pep Guardiola’s side are still struggling domestically by their lofty standards and their manager will fear a premature exit from this competition if they fail to improve.
They take on Real Madrid in Europe for the fourth season in a row, with the Spanish side having twice knocked out the English club either side of a 4-0 thrashing by the hosts at the Etihad Stadium in 2023. Carlo Ancelotti’s men top La Liga despite some recent struggles of their own, with a dynamic forward line perhaps not quite yet delivering the cohesion and consistency they will need to go deep in Europe.
Follow all of the latest from the Etihad Stadium in our live blog below:
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on the Amazon Prime Video with coverage beginning at 6.30pm. If you’re not an Amazon Prime Video subscriber you can start a free 30-day trial here.
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Mike Jones11 February 2025 17:10
When is Manchester City vs Real Madrid?
The Champions League play-off first leg between Man City and Real Madrid is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 11 February at the Etihad Stadium.
Mike Jones11 February 2025 17:05
Man City vs Real Madrid
Pep Guardiola’s team snuck into the knockout stages of the competition with a 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the final round of fixtures during the league phase. The Premier League champions won just three of their eight matches and finished 22nd in the table, just inside of the 24-team cut off.
City’s form continues to fluctuate though as they where heavily beaten 5-1 by Arsenal in their most recent Premier League outing before edging into the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-1 win over League One side Plymouth Argyle.
In comparison, Real Madrid also struggled in the Champions League, though they were in no risk of elimination in this revamped format. Carlo Ancelotti’s men finished 11th, outside the automatic last-16 spots, but have only lost once in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Mike Jones11 February 2025 17:00
Good evening!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Champions League action as Manchester City play host to Real Madrid in the first leg of their play-off tie.
One of Europe’s biggest teams will be exiting the competition ahead of the last-16 stage as Pep Guardiola attempts to mastermind a victory against Carlo Ancelotti’s serial winners.
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and more tonight so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 8pm.
Mike Jones11 February 2025 12:06
