
UEFA Champions League
8:00 p.mMarch 17, 2026
Round of 16

Manchester City1 – 2
VAT:(1-1)
Added:(1-5)

Real Madrid*Etihad Stadium
Referee: Clement Turpin, France


Manchester City


Real Madrid
Turn off the spoiler to see match stats
1.91
Expected Goals (xG)
2.29
Passing by
441 (91%)
Accurate passes
487 (91%)
Turn off the spoiler to see the events of the match
25
G
Gianluigi Donnarumma
7.3
21
d
Rayan Ait-Nouri
6.6
3
d
Ruben Dias
6.3
d
Abdukodir Khusanov
27
d
Matthew Nunes
6.2
16
m
Rodri
7.2
m
Bernardo Silva (C)
11
m
Jeremy Doku
8.3
4
m
Tijjani Reijnders
6.6
10
m
Ryan Cherki
7.6
F
Erling Haaland
41′
1
G
Thibaut Courtois
7.2
20
d
Fran GarcÃa
6.2
24
d
Dean Huijsen
7.2
22
d
Antonio Rudiger
6.3
d
Trent Alexander-Arnold
15
m
Arda Guler
7.2
m
Aurélien Tchouaméni
45
m
Thiago Pitarch
6.5
8
m
Federico Valverde (C)
6.9
F
Vinicius Junior
22′
90+3′
21
F
Brahim Diaz
6.6

UEFA Champions League Ranking – UEFA Champions League
Qualification/Relegation
- Promotion – Champions League (Play Off: Round of 16)
- Promotion – Champions League (Play Off: Round of 16)
Vinicius Junior’s stoppage-time winner sealed a dramatic 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory for Real Madrid over 10-man Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Real Madrid secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City on 17 March 2026. Vinicius Junior was the hero, scoring twice, including a late goal to seal a memorable UEFA Champions League triumph. This result saw the Spanish giants leave Manchester with all three points.
This much-anticipated Champions League group stage clash pitted two European heavyweights against each other. Manchester City went into the game with 10 points from five games. Real Madrid held a slight lead, sitting on 12 points and looking to extend their lead at the top.
The game burst into life early, taking a dramatic turn in the 20th minute. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva was shown a straight red card for ball handling in the box. This left the home side facing a major challenge with ten men.
From the resulting penalty, Vinicius Junior surged with confidence. In the 22nd minute, he calmly converted the spot-kick to put Real Madrid ahead. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was shown a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct just three minutes later.
Despite being a man down, Manchester City showed remarkable resilience. They pressed for an equaliser. Their efforts paid off in the 41st minute when Erling Haaland fired home, leveling the scores before the break. Abdukodir Khusanov also received a yellow card in added time for an elbow incident.
At the break, Manchester City needed to regroup and maintain their defensive shape. Real Madrid wanted to use their numerical advantage more effectively in the second period. The stage was set for a tense finish.
Both teams made changes at the break. Real Madrid brought on Andriy Lunin for Thibaut Courtois in goal. Manchester City introduced Rúben Dias and Tijjani Reijnders, making tactical adjustments.
The second half continued with great intensity. Manchester City surprisingly substituted goalscorer Erling Haaland in the 57th minute. Oscar Marmoush entered the fray, signaling a change in attack. Real Madrid pushed forward, looking for a decisive goal.
The late drama unfolded as the game neared its conclusion. In the 90+1 minute, Vinicius Junior thought he had scored his second, but VAR disallowed the goal for offside. The Etihad crowd roared with a mixture of relief and frustration.
However, Vinicius Junior would not be denied for long. Just two minutes later, at minute 90+3, he scored his second goal of the night. Aurélien Tchouaméni provided the assist and directed a pass to Vinicius, who slotted it home for a spectacular winner for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid advanced possession with 52% against City’s 48%. While Manchester City had more total shots (22 to 13), Real Madrid’s clinical advantage was evident. They also had a higher expected goals (xG) of 2.29 compared to City’s 1.91. Goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and the Real Madrid duo (Courtois/Lunin) made 4 and 7 saves respectively.
This hard-fought victory means that Real Madrid consolidates its position in the Champions League group. Manchester City will reflect on the early red card and their inability to secure a point. This result significantly affects the progression of both teams in the competition.

