Both teams reached this stage unexpectedly, having failed to secure a top-eight position in the new 36-team format's league phase.
As a result, they must now navigate this additional playoff round to reach the round of 16.
This match is a repeat of recent Champions League encounters, with Real Madrid knocking out Man City in the quarterfinals last season.
Manchester City v Real Madrid: Key information
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Kick-off time: 8:00 PM GMT
Venue: Etihad, Manchester
Referee: Clément Turpin (on pitch)
TV channels: Amazon Prime Video (Gbr), BBC Radio 5 Live (Gbr), BBC Radio (Gbr), beIN Sports MENA English 1 (Gbr), Discovery+ UK (Gbr)
Odds: 6/5, 14/5, 47/25 Real Madrid 191/100
Manchester City team news
Manchester City’s injury woes have seemingly slowed down in recent weeks with Jeremy Doku, Ruben Dias, and Nathan Ake returning to full-team training.
Nico Gonzalez was forced off on his debut against Leyton Orient but trained with the team on Monday. Oscar Bobb and Rodri are the only two remaining absentees through injury.
Bobb continues his rehabilitation though he suffered a relapse last week rolling his ankle in training.
Rodri is also in the early stages of rehabilitation as he continues training in the USA while he attended the Super Bowl.
Erling Haaland is expected to join the squad having rested over the weekend against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup.
Manchester City expected line-up vs Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Pep Guardiola
Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Stones, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gonzalez; Savinho, De Bruyne, Foden, Haaland
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid faces a defensive crisis ahead of their Champions League playoff first leg against Manchester City, with five key defenders sidelined.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side must navigate this challenge while relying on midfield adaptability and attacking firepower.
Lucas Vázquez (hamstring) joins Dani Carvajal (ACL), Antonio Rüdiger (thigh), David Alaba (adductor), and Éder Militão (ACL) on the injury list, leaving no natural right-back available.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and winger Arda Güler are fully fit, while Ferland Mendy returns at left-back after a minor knock.
Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to partner 21-year-old Raúl Asencio in central defence, with Federico Valverde deputizing at right-back.
Real Madrid expected line-up vs Manchester City (4-3-3)
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Courtois; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Asencio, Mendy; Ceballos, Bellingham, Camavinga; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
H2H record
Manchester City have shown vulnerability despite a strong Etihad record, suffering a 5-1 Premier League thrashing by Arsenal and narrowly defeating third-tier Leyton Orient 2-1 in the FA Cup over the weekend.
Their home form remains formidable, with four consecutive wins in 2025 (including 3+ goals in each).
However, their biggest test yet will be against Real Madrid, who are record winners of the competition.
Los Blancos lead La Liga but are winless in their last two games and also endured a 5-2 Spanish Super Cup loss to Barcelona earlier in the year.
Defensive injuries plague them, yet they’ve lost just once in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Real Madrid edged recent encounters with three wins in their last five meetings against Manchester City, including a dramatic penalty shootout victory in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season.
Manchester City’s lone win in this period came in the 2023 semifinals (4-0 at the Etihad).
Odds for Man City and Real Madrid
Manchester City will aim to establish a significant advantage at home before traveling to the Bernabeu, while Real Madrid will seek to secure a positive result in the first leg and anticipate the return of injured players for the return fixture.
According to bet365, the odds for a Manchester City win are 133/100, 61/20 for a draw, and 191/100 for a Real Madrid win.
Odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.