Man City vs Real Madrid sees Champions League's two best records collide

Pep Guardiola is preparing his Manchester City side set for a Champions League semi-final against 13-time winners Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti’s team overcame Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea — who defeated City in the final last year — to reach their first semi-final in the competition since the 2017/18 season.

The two sides have met before in the pinnacle of club competition, as Guardiola’s side eliminated Los Blancos in the round-of-16 in 2020. Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, and Karim Benzema all scored across the two legs that year and could have a say tonight when the two giants meet at the Etihad.

City’s quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid was their 100 the Champions League fixture — and across that century of matches they have recorded an impressive 55 wins. This tally is the greatest number of victories from an English side after 100 matches in the competition.

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Interestingly, the only side to have more Champions League wins within their first 100 matches is Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have a deep affinity with this historic trophy, becoming the first club in history to retain it in 2017, before recording a third consecutive triumph the following year.

This season, Real Madrid appear to have rediscovered their clinical edge. Ancelotti’s side have a 15-point lead at the top of La Liga and impressively eliminated a star-studded Paris Saint Germain team and current holders Chelsea in the previous rounds of the Champions League.

City, on the other hand, are looking to record a second consecutive Premier League trophy in a titanic tussle with Liverpool. But perhaps the most significant hurdle Guardiola’s side will have