Manchester City vs Real Madrid. A fixture that as recently as 2012 had never been played but is now a mouthwatering prospect each and every time the pair draw each other in the Champions League.
The Citizens are yet to lift Europe’s most prestigious club trophy, whereas Real Madrid are record-breaking 14-time winners. They are at completely opposite ends of the history scale but are two of the best clubs on the planet.
Since that a first meeting over a decade ago, City and Real have butted heads on a number of occasions, often with a place in the Champions League final on the line.
City were the new kids on the block when they travelled to the Bernabeu for the very first time. They’d won the Premier League the season prior, but this was just their second-ever Champions League campaign.
Roberto Mancini’s side exited at the group stage during their maiden voyage and would endure an even worse fate in 2012/13 as they finished bottom of the group.
On Matchday 1, City pushed Jose Mourinho’s Real all the way amid a hectic second half during which all five goals were scored. Edin Dzeko gave the visitors a 2-1 lead with five minutes remaining before a vintage Real late show saw them prevail as 3-2 victors. A certain Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner at the death.
City’s fate as the bottom dwellers in the group was all but sealed by the time the reverse fixture rolled around in Manchester.
Borussia Dortmund and Real were the two that progressed from the group, but Mancini’s side were able to thwart the Spanish side’s quest to finish top by holding them to a point on Matchday 5.
Sergio Aguero’s spot kick cancelled out Karim Benzema’s early opener.
City finally grew relevant on the European stage under Manuel Pellegrini, and they progressed into the semi-finals during the 2015/16 season.
The 2013/14 champions awaited them in the last four, but they were without Cristiano Ronaldo for the first leg at the Etihad.
This was a pretty forgettable affair with City rarely threatening. At the other end, Joe Hart made a couple of huge stops in the closing stages to keep a clean sheet and ensure the scores were level heading into the second leg in Madrid.
Ronaldo was back for the second leg, but it was Gareth Bale who made all the difference in the Spanish…
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