champions league

Real Madrid vs Manchester City LIVE: Halftime after Valverde’s hat-trick! (3-0) 2026 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg

Real Madrid face Manchester City in a pivotal first leg of the 2026 UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Stay here for minute-by-minute updates from this elite European showdown!

Updated on March 11, 2026 04:56PM EDT

**© Getty Images**Federico Valverde celebrates a goal vs Manchester City.

Real Madrid welcome Manchester City to the Santiago Bernabeu, for the opening leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. Both heavyweights are desperate to secure a first-leg advantage before the series shifts to England for the decisive return match next week.

The Spanish giants reached this stage after overcoming Benfica with a 3–1 aggregate victory in the knockout play-off round. Meanwhile, Manchester City secured their place by finishing as one of the top eight teams during the league phase, exempting them from the previous play-off round.

While Pep Guardiola’s team enters as slight favorite, Real Madrid will rely on the legendary Bernabeu atmosphere to overcome a challenging injury list that includes Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

04:54PM

First half summary

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Manchester City began the match with a higher intensity, consistently threatening the hosts' penalty area. However, the momentum shifted decisively in the 20th minute when Thibaut Courtois provided a sensational long-range assist to find Federico Valverde, who clinicaly opened the scoring.

Following the opener, the Uruguayan midfielder proved unstoppable. Just seven minutes later, Valverde struck again to double the lead, and he capped off a historic performance just before the halftime whistle by netting the third. The flurry secured a 3–0 lead for the Merengues and marked the first hat-trick of Valverde’s professional career.

04:48PM

Halftime!

The first half at the Santiago Bernabeu has finished!

04:43PM

42'- GOOOOOAL OF REAL MADRID!! (3-0)

Federico Valverde scores a hat-trick!!

04:37PM

36'- Manchester City looking to cut the deficit (2-0)

Manchester City are continuing to push for an equalizer to close the gap on the scoreboard, but Real Madrid’s defensive unit remains incredibly disciplined.

04:28PM

27'- GOOOOAAAL OF REAL MADRID!! (2-0)

Federico Valverde strikes again!!

04:20PM

19'- GOOOAAAAAL FOR REAL MADRID! (1-0)

Federico Valverde scores the opener of the game!!

04:16PM

15'- Contested opening exchanges (0-0)

Through the first 15 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu, the match remains a tactical battle for control. Real Madrid currently hold a slight edge in possession with 51%, compared to 49% for the visitors. However, Manchester City have appeared more intent on taking the initiative in the final third, consistently pressing forward to create the game's more dangerous offensive situations.

04:08PM

7'- Nice try from Diaz! (0-0)

Brahim Diaz had a premier opportunity inside the box following a clever assist from Vinicius Jr. but Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a superb save to turn the ball behind for a corner.

04:06PM

5'- First shot of the game (0-0)

Antoine Semenyo from Manchester City recorded the first shot on target of the game.

04:01PM

GAME ON!

The game between Real Madrid and Manchester City is underway!

03:58PM

Players are on the pitch!

Players from both teams are on the field for the Champions League anthem. Everything is ready for the start of the match!

03:45PM

Familiar rivals

This campaign marks the fifth consecutive season in which Real Madrid and Manchester City have clashed in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. In the 2021–22 semifinals, the Spanish giants advanced to the final with a 6–5 aggregate victory after winning in extra time.

However, the following year, the English side secured its place in the final with a dominant 5–1 aggregate win. Real Madrid regained the upper hand in the 2023–24 quarterfinals by winning a penalty shootout following a 4–4 aggregate draw, and they eliminated the Cityzens again in the 2024–25 play-offs with a convincing 6–3 aggregate scoreline.

03:31PM

Both teams doing warm up activities

Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups at the Santiago Bernabeu!

03:17PM

Today's referees

Italian referee Maurizio Mariani has been appointed to officiate the clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City. He will be joined on the field by Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni, who are set to serve as the assistant referees.

Full officiating team:

Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni (ITA)
Fourth official: Matteo Marchetti (ITA)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)

03:00PM

Why is Kylian Mbappe not playing?

Kylian Mbappe is not playing today because he is dealing with a sprain in his left knee that has sidelined him during a crucial stretch of the season for Real Madrid.

02:46PM

Manchester City lineup confirmed!

City's starting XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly; Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Savinho, Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland.

02:40PM

Real Madrid confirmed lineup!

Real Madrid's starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Trent-Alexander Arnold; Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Ferland Mendy; Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni; Brahim Diaz, Thiago Pitarch Pinar, Arda Guler; Vinicius Jr.

02:20PM

Kickoff time and where to watch

Real Madrid vs Manchester City will get underway at the Santiago Bernabeu at 4:00 PM (ET).

DAZN will be the primary option to watch Real Madrid vs Manchester City in the USA. The other option to enjoy the is Paramount+.

02:00PM

Real Madrid and Manchester City clash in the 2026 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg

Welcome to our live blog of the UEFA Champions League, where Real Madrid face Manchester City today at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16!

Stay with us for all the action and minute-by-minute updates of this exciting game!

Gianni Taina