Amid a difficult run of form, Real Madrid will host Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Madrid are in a rut after dropping points in five of their last seven games in all competitions, and are fresh off a frustrating 2-0 loss at home to Celta Vigo, in a fiery affair that saw two of their players sent off.
The Merengues have dropped to second in the La Liga table, four points behind leaders FC Barcelona.
They've fared better in the Champions League so far, earning four wins through five games, good enough for fifth place in the league phase standings. Xabi Alonso's men prevailed in an exciting 4-3 win over Olympiacos in Greece last time out, bouncing back from a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Matchday 4.
Manchester City, meanwhile, will also be desperate for a win after a surprising 2-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 5. They currently sit in ninth in the UCL table, with three wins, one draw and one loss.
The Citizens have risen to second in the Premier League standings, now just two points behind Arsenal after rattling off three consecutive wins.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Head-to-Head History
Vinicius Junior and Kyle Walker during Real Madrid 1-1 Man City.
Vinicius Junior and Kyle Walker during Real Madrid 1-1 Man City.
Real Madrid and Manchester City have faced each other on 14 previous occasions, splitting the results fairly evenly. City has won five of those meetings, just one more than Madrid, and the pair have settled for an additional five draws.
They last faced off in the knockout phase play-off in last year's edition of the tournament, with the Spaniards earning qualification into the knockout rounds with a 6-3 aggregate win.
In fact, Madrid and City have met in the Champions League in each of the last four seasons (making it five on Wednesday), including semi-final ties in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Where to Watch Real Madrid vs Manchester City
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When: Wednesday, December 10 – 3PM ET / 12PM PT
Where: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
Where to watch in the United States: CBS Sports, Paramount+
Real Madrid vs Manchester City Betting Odds
Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring a goal for Manchester City
Real Madrid to win: +170
Draw: +270
Manchester City to win: +145
Both teams to score (Yes/No): -240 / +182
Over/Under 3.5 goals: +124 / -152
Erling Haaland first goalscorer: +330
Vinícius Júnior anytime goalscorer: +200
Rodrygo anytime goalscorer: +270
Erling Haaland to score 2 or more goals: +380
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Manchester City Team News and Predicted Lineup
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola sitting at Craven Cottage.
Premier League - Fulham v Manchester City - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 2, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before the match REUTERS/David Klein
Pep Guardiola boasts a healthy squad for the trip to his homeland, albeit still missing a major piece in Rodri.
John Stones is questionable to participate after missing the weekend's win over Sunderland, while Mateo Kovacic remains out with an ankle injury.
Following a red-hot scoring run in November, Erling Haaland has hit a bit of a rough patch in December, only scoring one goal in his last five appearances in all competitions. The Norwegian will be eager to add to his two career goals against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Rayan Cherki has impressed of late and will surely be among the starters again in Madrid, forming a creative unit with Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Manchester City predicted lineup (4-1-4-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) - Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly - Nico Gonzalez - Phil Foden, Tijani Reijnders, Bernardo Silva, Jeremy Doku - Erling Haaland.
Real Madrid Team News and Predicted Lineup
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso looks on from the touchline
Xabi Alonso has come under pressure amid his team's struggles, absolutely needing a win on Wednesday to quell any talk of dismissal.
He'll have to do so with an injury-riddled squad, as his defensive line has been devastated of late. Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Dean Huijsen and David Alaba are all expected to miss the clash with Manchester City, forcing Alonso to get creative with his backline.
Kylian Mbappe's involvement is also a question as the Frenchman deals with a reported leg issue.
Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-4-2): Thibaut Courtois (GK) - Federico Valverde, Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio, Alvaro Carreras - Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham - Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola sitting at Craven Cottage. Related
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