After securing a historic 2-3 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid heads into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu with a dominant statistic in its favor: in 38 European knockout ties where they won the first leg away, they advanced in 36 of them.

History Favors Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti’s squad became the first team to defeat Pep Guardiola’s City at the Etihad in the Champions League after an incredible 35-match unbeaten streak. Additionally, Los Blancos recorded the highest number of shots attempted by any visiting team at the Etihad, with 19 shots in the game.

Throughout their UEFA competition history, Real Madrid has capitalized on away victories to seal qualification. However, there have been two rare exceptions:

• 1994-95 UEFA Cup: Real Madrid vs. Odense – After winning 2-3 in Denmark, they were shockingly eliminated after losing 0-2 at home.
• 2018-19 Champions League: Real Madrid vs. Ajax – Won 1-2 in Amsterdam but suffered a 1-4 defeat at the Bernabéu, in a match marked by Vinícius Júnior’s injury.

Real Madrid: Masters of Comebacks and Survival

Despite their impressive record in knockout ties after winning the first leg, Real Madrid has often struggled at the Bernabéu.

A recent example was in the 2022-23 Round of 16, when they edged RB Leipzig 0-1 in Germany but barely held on for a 1-1 draw at home.

In the 2021-22 season, they faced a near-elimination scare after a 1-3 victory at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. The Blues stormed into the Bernabéu with a 0-3 lead, but Rodrygo forced extra time, and Karim Benzema sealed the qualification.

With Real Madrid’s historic track record in knockout stages, will Manchester City be able to defy the odds, or will Los Blancos once again prove why they are kings of European football?