Not El Clasico or Manchester derby, here’s how City vs Real Madrid has become the new big rivalry in European football

One can’t think of the Champions League over the past five years without thinking of Real Madrid against Manchester City. Such is the nature of sport that big-ticket contests seldom live up to their billing. However, drawn four times during the past five seasons over two-legged knockout ties, this one surely has.

Laced with tons of goals – an average of 4.3 per game – and iconic subplots, it’s been the showcase of some of the finest talents in modern football, on the pitch and the sideline.

“They have always been spectacular games. Tomorrow will be the same, a spectacular game and very entertaining,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti proclaimed on the eve of their latest meeting in Manchester.

For starters, it feeds off the much relatable ‘old vs new’ storyline. Real have been the traditional powerhouses of Europe. City are modern-day behemoths, having only emerged as serious title contenders during the aforementioned timeline. There’s also the history and ownership background that differentiates the two. Madrid were nominally linked to the Spanish monarchy in the early 20th century, a nation-state team. City have been vilified for their UAE ownership, benefitting from ‘oil money’. In a more-or-less closed football ecosystem at the top club level, it’s unique among the more traditional rivalries in football.

The two teams don’t play that often but when they do, stakes are high. That the rivalry has blossomed at a time when the two clubs have faced little opposition at home amps up its stature. In Spain, Madrid’s El Clasicos with Barcelona have turned out to be bleak affairs in recent times. In England, City’s success has given them bragging rights over Manchester United, a club with a trophy-laden past.

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