Real Madrid and Manchester City facing each other in the Champions League again is nothing more than a result of both sides being good in Europe.
That’s according to journalist Áxel Torres, who is bored of people seemingly thinking otherwise. Cadena SER cover his comments today following an appearance on El Larguero.
Manchester City are set to take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last 16 next month. Pep Guardiola’s side travel to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on March 11th before hosting the Spanish giants at the Etihad on 17th March.
The tie is, at this point, an annual event for both sides. This meeting represents the fifth consecutive year and the seventh time in seven season that these two sides will meet in the competition.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City again
It’s been a fascinating rivalry that is currently perfectly balance. They have five wins each and five draws, while both have scored 29 goals.
Real Madrid have held the advantage in the last two years, winning 6-3 on aggregate last season in the playoffs after a 4-3 win on penalties in the quarterfinals in 2024.
Some fans have reacted negatively to the draw, with the hope for something different quashed for both clubs. Torres, though, isn’t having it, nor is he accepting any suggestion of a UEFA fix either.
“I’m surprised we’re talking as if it’s a whim of UEFA that Real Madrid and Manchester City are drawn against each other,” he said.
UEFA questions
“Both this season and last, this is determined by their league position. If they hadn’t finished in this position, there wouldn’t have been a chance for them to face each other. There’s no more to it than that.
“They’ve faced each other a lot, yes. But we used to say it was the great Clásico of Europe, and it seems to be getting boring.
“In fact, there could be six Barça-Atlético de Madrid matches. Two in La Liga, two in the Copa del Rey, and maybe two in the Champions League. There will be six and welcome them because they’re good matches too.”