Manchester City will be hoping to reach a successive Champions League final when they face Real Madrid on Tuesday evening in the competition’s semi-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
City reached their first-ever Champions League final last year following a commendable run that saw them beat Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund on the way. They however fell victim to the defensive setup of fellow English side Chelsea in the final and succumbed to a painful 1-0 defeat in Porto, courtesy of a solitary Kai Havertz goal.
This won’t be the first time that the Blues have faced Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final, with the pair coming up against each other at this stage in 2016 too. After a goalless stalemate in Manchester, City travelled to the Spanish capital knowing a score draw would see them through to a first-ever final. This was not to be though as City lost 1-0 thanks to a deflected Gareth Bale shot in the first half which sent Madrid through to the final which they eventually won.
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The most recent time that these sides faced off against each other was in the last 16 round of the 2019/20 Champions League with City coming out on top in both legs 2-1. Thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus (x2), City were able to dispatch the 13-times Champions League winners with ease.
All three players are still in Pep Guardiola’s team and City fans will be hoping that the attacking trio can once again be the difference on Tuesday night.
Despite sharing the pitch on numerous occasions, City and Madrid have also shared nine players over the years. To coincide with City’s semi-final clash with Real Madrid, we’ve compiled a list of players to have turned out for both clubs.
Nicolas Anelka
The French striker spent one season in Madrid, scoring seven goals in 31 appearances for Los Blancos between 1999 and 2000.
After spells at Paris St Germain and Liverpool, Anelka joined City in 2002 and played for City for three seasons, scoring an impressive 45 goals in 103 appearances.
Anelka left City to join Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in 2005 but went on to play for teams including Chelsea, Juventus and West Bromwich Albion.
Steve McManaman
The only Englishman on this list, Steve McManaman shocked the world when he signed for Spanish giants Madrid in 1999. Becoming a fan favourite though at the club, McManaman went on to win two La Liga titles as well as two Champions League trophies.
The winger left Los Blancos in 2003 to join City, where he stayed for two years until his retirement in 2005. McManaman made 44 appearances for the Sky Blues but failed to grab any goals during his stay in Manchester.
Robinho
Probably the most famous name on this list, Robinho shocked fans worldwide when he signed for Manchester City from Los Blancos on transfer deadline day of 2008. City had recently been taken over by new owners who were keen to put out a big-money statement to the rest of the world.
Robinho, a top-performing striker for Madrid and the Brazilian national team, had a steady first season at Eastlands, scoring 15 goals. The player’s second season did not go as well with just one goal from 12 appearances for the Sky Blues, leading to his permanent departure to AC Milan after a brief loan spell in his home country at Santos.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Controversially joining City from Premier League rivals Arsenal in 2009, Emmanuel Adebayor made himself very popular with the sky blue faithful early on during his time in Manchester. Facing Arsenal for the first time since the move, Adebayor not only scored, but ran the entire length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal-occupied away section of the Etihad.
In January of 2011, the Togo international moved to Real Madrid on loan from City, having fallen down the striker pecking order at City, following the recent arrival of Edin Dzeko. Adebayor left City permanently the year after to join Tottenham Hotspur following an initial loan period. The striker scored 19 goals in 45 games during his time playing for the Citizens.
Javi Garcia
The Spanish centre defensive midfielder had begun his career at Real Madrid, turning out for the academy and B team, Real Madrid Castilla, before joining Osasuna in 2007.
Javi Garcia returned to Madrid for a season before moving to Benfica where he was bought by Manchester City for £15.8 million in the summer of 2012 because the club looking to strengthen their Premier League winning squad of 2011/12.
Garcia spent two seasons at the club, winning the 2014 Premier League title as well as that year’s League Cup too before moving on to Zenit St Petersburg in the summer. In his time at the club, Garcia contributed 2 goals in 80 games for the Citizens, including a debut goal vs Stoke City in the league.
Alvaro Negred o
Born in Madrid, Alvaro Negredo joined Real early on in his career and scored 22 goals in 65 appearances for Real Madrid Castilla. Yet after failing to break through into the senior squad, Negredo left to join Sevilla.
Earning the nickname ‘The Beast’, Negredo soon became a fan favourite at City following his arrival from Sevilla in the summer of 2013. The striker started the season in electric form, scoring 23 goals in his first six months at the club, forming a deadly duo with Sergio Aguero.
However the Spaniard never looked the same after suffering a shoulder injury vs West Ham United in January of 2014, and after loan an initial loan spell to Valencia, he left to join the Spanish side on a permanent basis in 2015.
Jose Angel Pozo
One of the more obscure and forgettable names on the list is that of Jose Angel Pozo. The Spanish attacking midfielder was on the books at the Bernabeu from 2007 as a youngster but made the move to City’s academy in 2012.
After two seasons turning out for City’s youth side, Pozo was promoted in 2014 to the senior squad by then City manager Manuel Pellegrini. He made four appearances for the club before leaving to join Almeria in 2015, scoring one goal for the Sky Blues which came against Sheffield Wednesday in a 7-0 League Cup rout.
Danilo
Now known as a serial winner when it comes to trophies, Brazilian fullback Danilo joined Real Madrid from Porto in 2015 with already two Primeira Ligas to his name.
During his time at Madrid, Danilo added two Champions Leagues to his personal trophy cabinet, as well as a La Liga, a Super Cup and a Club World Cup.
The defender made the direct switch from Madrid to Manchester in 2017 and stayed for two trophy-laden years, picking up two Premier Leagues, two League Cups, an FA Cup and a Community Shield during his time in England.
After making 60 appearances and scoring four goals, Danilo left City for Juventus in 2019 and went on to add several more trophies including the Serie A title in his first season in Italy.
Brahim Diaz
The most recent player to swap between Manchester and Madrid is young Spanish playmaker Brahim Diaz, who joined Los Blancos in 2019, having been in the setup at City since 2015 after joining from Malaga’s youth academy.
During his four year stay at the club, Diaz played 15 matches, scoring two goals in the process. Thanks to his five Premier League appearances in 2017/18, Diaz was entitled to collect a winner’s medal following City’s title triumph.
Diaz has struggled for form since joining Madrid and is currently on loan at AC Milan for a second season running.
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