A clash of titans awaits as Manchester City host Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola’s men had to stage a comeback against Club Brugge in their final league phase fixture just to secure a spot in the knockout rounds, setting up a daunting clash with the reigning champions.
While there have been glimpses of Manchester City regaining their dominant form, their season remains inconsistent. A crushing 5-1 defeat to Arsenal, following a collapse against PSG, exposed lingering weaknesses.
However, new additions Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov have been included in City’s Champions League squad and could make their European debuts.
On the other side, Real Madrid’s journey in the tournament has been far from flawless, finishing 11th in the league phase. Yet, Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, currently sitting atop LaLiga, has a history of stepping up when it matters most. With their sights set on a commanding first-leg result, they’ll aim to return to Madrid with the advantage.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Man City vs. Real Madrid live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Champions League match in the U.S.:
TV channel: —
Live stream: Paramount+
This game is not available for live TV broadcast in the English language. Streaming options are available on Paramount+, which is offering a FREE trial for new subscribers.
What time does Man City vs. Real Madrid kick off?
This Champions League clash takes place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England and kicks off on Tuesday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across the U.S.:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Tue, Feb. 11 | 3:00 p.m. |
| Central Time | Tue, Feb. 11 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Tue, Feb. 11 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Tue, Feb. 11 | 12:00 p.m. |
Man City vs. Real Madrid predicted lineups, team news
Man City’s new midfield signing Nico Gonzalez will be unavailable for Manchester City after picking up an injury in their win over Leyton Orient. He will join the likes of Oscar Bobb (leg), Nathan Ake (muscle), Jeremy Doku (undisclosed) and Ederson (undisclosed) on the treatment table, while Rodri (ACL) remains sidelined for the long-term.
Star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is likely to return to the starting lineup after his crucial winning goal against Leyton Orient. Moreover, he seems to turn up against Real Madrid and is looking for his record-breaking ninth goal contribution against them in UCL.
Manchester City predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol — Silva, Kovacic — Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho — Haaland.
Injuries: Gonzalez, Bobb, Ake, Doku, Rodri
Suspensions: None
Real Madrid are dealing with an injury crisis of their own with the likes of Lucas Vasquez, Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and David Alaba all out with injuries
Due to the major absentees in defense, Carlo Ancelotti will, in all likelihood, call upon youngster Raul Asencio to pair with Aurelien Tchouameni in the center of defense.
Real Madrid predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy — Camavinga, Modric — Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior — Mbappe.
Injuries: Vasquez, Rudiger, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba
Suspensions: None
Man City vs. Real Madrid Prediction
This fixture has been fairly even in the past with five out of 12 games drawn, while Man City have four wins against Real Madrid’s three victories.
With both teams missing key personnel, this will again be an end-to-end clash, however, Real Madrid’s attacking talent will exploit Man City’s defensive vulnerabilities to narrowly emerge as the winners.
- Prediction: Man City 2-3 Real Madrid
Champions League fixture schedule this week
All times ET
Tuesday, February 11
- Brest vs. PSG (12:45 p.m.)
- Juventus vs. PSV (3:00 p.m.)
- Man City vs. Real Madrid (3:00 p.m.)
- Sporting Lisbon vs. Borussia Dortmund (3:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, February 12
- Club Brugge vs. Atalanta (12:45 p.m.)
- Celtic vs. Bayern Munich (3:00 p.m.)
- Feyenoord vs. AC Milan (3:00 p.m.)
- Monaco vs. Benfica (3:00 p.m.)
