Man City 1-2 Real Madrid Highlights, UEFA Champions League: Vinicius Scores Brace As Los Blancos Enter Quarter-Final

Hello, football fans! This is the start of our live blog covering Real Madrid’s trip to Manchester to face Man City in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 match. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are announced.

• Fixture: Manchester City vs Real Madrid

• Series: UEFA Champions League 2025-26

• Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester

• Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026

• Time: 01:30 PM IST

In the other matches of UEFA Champions League 2025-26. Sporting CP take on Bodo/Glimt, Arsenal visit Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea host PSG. Check the live score of all the UCL 2025-26 round of 16 second leg matches.

In the first leg of the Round of 16 on March 11, 2026, Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The match was defined by a historic individual performance from Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde, who scored the first hat-trick of his professional career in just 22 minutes during the first half.

Valverde opened the scoring after a massive long-range assist from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Valverde controlled the ball, rounded City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and finished from a tight angle. Valverde doubled the lead by latching onto a low, outside-of-the-foot pass from Vinicius Jr and firing a clinical strike into the far corner.

The Uruguayan completed his hat-trick with the goal of the night, a brilliant flick over City defender Marc Guehi followed by a powerful volley.

Real Madrid achieved this dominant result despite missing several key players due to injury, including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo. For Manchester City, the result was a significant blow, with Erling Haaland being kept quiet throughout the match.

Real Madrid and Manchester City faced off for the first time in the UEFA Champions League on September 18, 2012.

The match was a Group D fixture held at the Santiago Bernabéu and is remembered as an all-time classic that finished 3-2 in favor of Real Madrid. All five goals were scored in a frantic second half

The two sides met again later that year on November 21, 2012, at the Etihad Stadium. That match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Sergio Aguero scoring a penalty to cancel out Karim Benzema’s early goal. City eventually finished bottom of that group, while Real Madrid progressed alongside Borussia Dortmund.

The rivalry began in the 2012/13 group stages. In their very first meeting, a late Cristiano Ronaldo winner secured a 3-2 victory for Madrid at the Bernabéu. Four years later, they met in the 2015/16 semi-finals; a cagey affair that was decided by a single Fernando own goal in Spain, sending Real Madrid to the final.

Since 2020, this fixture has become a staple of the knockout rounds, defined by high-scoring drama and tactical masterclasses between Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.

In 2020, Round of 16, City secured their first-ever competitive win over Madrid, winning both legs 2-1 to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

The semi-final is 2022, widely regarded as one of the greatest ties in history. After City won a 4-3 thriller in Manchester, they led 1-0 in Madrid until the 90th minute. Two stoppage-time goals from Rodrygo forced extra time, where Karim Benzema sealed a legendary 6-5 aggregate comeback for Real.

In semi-final of 2023, City exacted revenge with a ruthless 4-0 win at the Etihad (5-1 aggregate) on their way to winning their first-ever Champions League title.

In 2024 quarter-final, after a spectacular 3-3 draw in Madrid, the tie went to penalties in Manchester. Real Madrid triumphed 4-3 in the shootout after a masterclass in defensive survival.

In 2025 play-off clash, Madrid asserted dominance again, winning 3-2 at the Etihad and 3-1 at the Bernabeu to advance 6-3 on aggregate.

The UEFA Champions League 2025-26 matches, including Manchester City vs Real Madrid, will be live-streamed on the SonyLIV app and website in India. There will be no television broadcast of the game.

To reach the Champions League quarterfinals, Manchester City must overcome a 3-0 aggregate deficit in tonight's second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Following Federico Valverde's stunning first-half hat-trick at the Bernabéu last week, Pep Guardiola’s side has no room for error. Because the away goals rule was abolished in 2021, the math for City is straightforward.

If Real Madrid scores even once tonight, City will need to score four goals to take the tie to extra time.

Following the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 draw for the 2025-26 season—which paired Manchester City against Real Madrid for the fourth consecutive year—the official Manchester City account posted a tweet that quickly went viral:

"Hello darkness, my old friend."

After Man City’s "Hello darkness" tweet, Real Madrid’s official English account replied with:

"See you in the Sweet 16, City!

The match is underway at the Etihad Stadium and Real Madrid are the first ones to attack. They are wearing their away black jersey and attacking from left to right. Man City are in their home kit and moving from right to left.

Just after the start of the match, Fede Valverde found himself in a great position. Vinicius' pass took a deflection and landed in his feet but he misjudged the position of the goalkeeper, ending up with a weak shot to his hands. The hat-trick hero of the last game fails to convert an east chance. Except for that Man City look the side with more urgency as they launch an early onslaught.

Drama at the Etihad Stadium. Vinicius receives a ball in the left, cuts down the channel and pulls the trigger from outside the box. The ball curls in and hits the post, then hits the back of Donnarumma to trickle down the touchline. Another Real Madrid player puts in a cross and Vinicius shoots again, this time Bernardo Silva fending it off with his elbow.

Initially it was given off-side. But VAR reviewed it to change the decision. Referee awarded a penalty to Real Madrid and a red card to Bernardo Silva. Vinicius Jr did no mistake to convert from the spot.

The game has opened up after the goal. Haaland's cross-shot is blocked by the leg of Courtois, then Rodri shoots wide of an almost open goal on the follow-up. Real Madrid hit back immediately as Vinicius missed narrowly. Under some pressure from Reijnders, the Brazilian's first-time finish zips past the left-hand post. It's an excellent cross from the left by Guler, but his team-mate can't quite convert it.

Despite playing with ten men, Man City are the team who show more urgency and crash the Real Madrid box with numbers. Doku dribbles past Thiago Pitarch to put in a low cross which takes a deflection off Trent Alexander Arnold's feet to wobble and land in Erling Haaland's feet. The Norwegian striker did no mistake to put the ball in the back of the net. Man City stay alive with the goal.

Some more drama as the first half comes to an end and both teams go off the pitch while remaining equalised. When trying to fend off his opponent, a stray arm catches the cheek of Vinicius Junior, so Khusanov is shown yellow late in this first half. Fede Valverde and Rodri are called by the referee for some quick discussion and as the match resumes. Referee blows the whistle.

Lunin denies Haaland! It's the same link-up that produced City's first goal. Doku dances inside from the left and delivers a threatening low cross, before Haaland sweeps it towards the target from close range. On this occasion, he's denied by Madrid's substitute goalkeeper. City keeps Real Madrid under pressure in defence despite playing with ten men.

Despite being short-handed, City are bravely throwing men forward. While they're surely going out to Real Madrid once again, they'll want to go down swinging. Madrid's goalkeeper, subbed in at half-time, Andriy Lunin, keeps the score equalised. He parries the angled shot from Haaland on the left side of the area. Then, Rodri thumps the rebound well wide from the very edge of the area.

After soaking up a lot of pressure from Manchester City and a disallowed goal from Doku, Real Madrid look to hit back. Tchouameni arrives in the six-yard box with a perfectly timed leap, but his header from a left-sided corner is repelled by a fine reaction stop by Donnarumma! Mbappe then drives well wide only moments later!

Another disallowed goal. Lunin to the rescue again! Doku beats Valverde on the left side of the box, then picks out Ait-Nouri in the centre. The left-back's low drive is parried away, then he nods Cherki's teasing cross in from close range just moments later - however, City are caught offside again.

Amid the big ticket UCL matches, a shocker of a news has developed. The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the final, with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of Morocco. So, Morocco are the new champions of AFCON.

A twist in the last moments of the game as Real Madrid secure another victory. This time away from home. Aurelien Tchouameni had a brilliant game and he contributed once again through a whipping cross from the right side. Vinicius Jr, who has been in action all the game, ends up on the right place at the right time and taps the ball in. With it the referee blows the final whistle. Real Madrid win the tie 5-1 on aggregate and dejected Man City leave the field with dropped shoulders. They have been the better side in this game despite playing most of the match with ten men. Despite that, Real Madrid grinded enough to snatch a victory and the quarter-final berth.