Real Madrid secure a place in the Champions League quarterfinals after 2-1 win vs Manchester City
Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 2–1 at the Etihad Stadium, securing their place in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals with a 5–1 aggregate victory.
Real Madrid secured their place in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals after a 2–1 win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, advancing with a 5–1 aggregate victory.
Leveraging the dominant three-goal lead established at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Spanish giants navigated a high-intensity second leg in Manchester. The Cityzens entered the match with aggressive energy, knowing they needed at least three goals to keep their qualification hopes alive.
However, the momentum shifted early when a costly error by Bernardo Silva resulted in a straight red card and a penalty for Real Madrid. Vinicius Jr. clinicaly converted the spot-kick to give the visitors the lead. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Erling Haaland struck just before halftime to level the score at 1–1, providing a spark of hope for the home crowd.
In the second half, Real Madrid made a notable change in goal as Andriy Lunin replaced Thibaut Courtois. The Ukrainian goalkeeper delivered a stellar performance, denying multiple Manchester City chances to preserve the aggregate lead.
Just minutes from the end of the game, Vinicius Jr. struck once again to seal the game and give his team the qualification. Real Madrid now move on to the final eight, where they will face the winner of the Bayern Munich vs. Atalanta series.
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90'+2- GOOOOAAAL OF REAL MADRID!!! (1-2)
Vinicus Jr. extends the lead for Real Madrid and the game ends!!!
Real Madrid are through to the quarterfinals 🔜
Vini Jr. makes it 34 Champions League goals in his career, level with Wayne Rooney 👏 pic.twitter.com/SB2fwQEefv
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 17, 2026
82'- Modification in Real Madrid (1-1)
Trent Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Dani Carvajal.
79'- Yellow card in Real Madrid (1-1)
Trent Alexander-Arnold received a yellow card.
77'- Goal disallowed for City! (1-1)
Rayan Ait Nouri scored City's second goal of the game but was quickly disallowed for offside.
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76'- Yellow card in Real Madrid (1-1)
Kylian Mbappe was booked.
73'- Modifications in both teams (1-1)
In Manchester City, Rodri was replaced for Nico Gonzalez; while in Real Madrid, Arda Guler and Thiago were replaced by Eduardo Camavinga and Manuel Angel.
68'- Modification in Real Madrid
Brahim Diaz left the field to make way for Kylian Mbappe.
66'- Nice try from Kusanov! (1-1)
Abdukodir Khusanov nearly produced a spectacular moment for Manchester City, unleashing a powerful long-range strike that whistled just inches past the post guarded by Lunin.
60'- First shot form Semenyo (1-1)
Antoine Semenyo attempted his first shot of the match, but it sailed high over the Madrid goal.
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56'- Two modifications in Manchester City (1-1)
Erling Haaland and Matheus Nunes were replaced by Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush.
53'- Lunin steps up big again! (1-1)
The same formula is repeated as Haaland tried with a powerful shot inside the box but Lunin denied it again!
49'- What a save by Lunin! (1-1)
Lunin brilliantly denied Erling Haaland his team's second goal!
Manchester City and Real Madrid are already playing the second half!
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First half summary
Following an electric start from both sides, it appeared Manchester City was closer to breaking the deadlock. However, a pivotal VAR review in the 19th minute changed the complexion of the match. City captain Bernardo Silva was found to have handled the ball on the goal line to deny a scoring opportunity, resulting in a straight red card and a penalty for the visitors. Vinicius Jr. made no mistake from the spot, coolly converting to give Real Madrid a 1–0 lead and a 4–0 advantage on aggregate.
Despite being down to ten men, the hosts refused to back down and continued to press for an equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 40th minute when Erling Haaland pounced on a rebound to level the score at 1–1, reigniting hope for the fans at the Etihad Stadium. The stage is set for a dramatic second half, as 10-man Manchester City look to pull off a historic comeback to force extra time, while Real Madrid aim to utilize their numerical advantage to secure their spot in the quarterfinals.
Halftime!
The first half at the Etihad Stadium has finished!
After a great play by Brahim Diaz, the forward unleashed a powerful strike that Donnarumma brilliantly saved it.
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34'- Rodri tries one more from outside the box (0-1)
Once again, Rodri attempted a strike from outside the area, but his shot whistled just wide of the post.
26'- Huge miss by Rodri! (0-1)
Rodri had a golden opportunity right in front of goal, but his shot sailed high over the crossbar!
23'- Great save by Courtois and huge miss by Vini! (0-1)
First, Thibaut Courtois produced a world-class save to deny Erling Haaland what looked like a certain equalizer. Immediately after, Real Madrid launched a lightning-fast counterattack and Vinicius Jr missed an incredible chance to score the second goal.
63'- Goal disallowed for Manchester City (1-1)
Jeremy Doku thought he had put Manchester City ahead on the night, but his goal was quickly disallowed for offside.
21'- GOOOOAAAAL OF REAL MADRID!!! (0-1)
Vinicius Jr. scores the opener from the penalty spot!!
Bernardo Silva sees red for a handball on the line. Vini Jr. converts the penalty. Real are heading to the quarterfinals 👀 pic.twitter.com/w7LcVsqepH
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 17, 2026
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19'- Penalty for Real Madrid!
After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty for Real Madrid and a red card for Bernardo Silva.
16'- Vinicius hit the post! (0-0)
Vinicius Jr. nearly broke the deadlock with a brilliant strike that rattled off the post!
12'- Another try from Rodri (0-0)
The Spanish midfielder tried once again from outside the box, but this time his effort went far away from Courtois' goal.
4'- Another great save by Courtois! (0-0)
This time it was Rodri who unleashed a powerful strike, but Courtois was right there to deny City's first goal!
2'- Nice shot from Cherki! (0-0)
Now it was Manchester City’s turn to respond. Rayan Cherki unleashed a powerful strike that Thibaut Courtois managed to parry away with a brilliant save. It has been an electric start at the Etihad Stadium!
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1'- What a chance missed by Valverde! (0-0)
Federico Valverde went one-on-one against Gianluigi Donnarumma, but his shot lacked power, allowing the Italian goalkeeper to gather the ball without trouble.
GAME ON!
The game between Manchester City and Real Madrid is underway!
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!
Real Madrid hold a great advantage
The scenarios for Real Madrid are highly favorable as they head into the second leg. Having secured a dominant 3–0 victory in the opening match, a win or even a draw at the Etihad Stadium would grant them direct passage to the quarterfinals.
Even a defeat could be enough for the Spanish giants to progress as a loss by two goals or fewer would still see them advance on aggregate. However, a loss by exactly three goals would level the aggregate score and force thirty minutes of extra time, while a loss by four or more goals would result in the 15-time champions being eliminated from the competition.
Both teams doing warm up activities
Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups at the Etihad Stadium!
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Today's referees
French referee Clement Turpin has been appointed to officiate the clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid. He will be joined on the field by Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages, who are set to serve as the assistant referees.
Manchester City and Real Madrid clash in the 2026 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg
Welcome to our live blog of the UEFA Champions League. Manchester City host Real Madrid today at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, after a 3-0 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu!
Stay with us for all the action and minute-by-minute updates of this exciting game!
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, bringing his expertise in soccer, NBA, and tennis to deliver original content while providing live coverage of important events.