Big Match Feature: Man City v Real Madrid
There is nothing between Manchester City and Real Madrid as they meet at the City of Manchester Stadium with a place in the Uefa Champions League final the prize.
The first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu – the opening instalment of the sides’ second successive semifinal and third overall – finished 1-1 with both goals coming from long range. Vinicíus Júnior fired the home side in front in the 36th minute, Kevin De Bruyne levelling for City seven minutes past the hour.
The Spanish side have won both previous contests on their way to claiming the trophy, beating City 1-0 on aggregate in 2015/16 and edging through a spectacular tie 6-5 on aggregate after extra time 12 months ago.
Madrid are in the last four for the third season in a row; this is their third successive semifinal against English opponents. City have also reached this stage for the third consecutive campaign and fourth overall, but have only gone on to the final once, in 2021.
Madrid have beaten City’s domestic rivals Liverpool and Chelsea in this season’s knockout rounds, while the English side eased past German clubs Leipzig and Bayern München to get this far.
Both clubs are the reigning champions of their respective countries.
This is Carlo Ancelotti’s 50th Uefa Champions League match in charge of Madrid, and his 191st game as a coach in the competition – breaking Sir Alex Ferguson’s record.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
The teams produced a semifinal for the ages in last season’s Uefa Champions League, a thrilling first leg at the City of Manchester Stadium finishing 4-3 to Pep Guardiola’s home side. Early goals from De Bruyne (2) and Gabriel Jesus (11) put City in charge, but Karim Benzema (33) halved the visitors’ deficit before the break. Phil Foden (53) restored the two-goal cushion only for Vinícius Júnior (55) to pull one back almost immediately and Madrid stayed in the contest despite Bernardo Silva’s 74th-minute strike, Benzema chipping in from the penalty spot with eight minutes to go after Aymeric Laporte had been penalised for handball.
That looked immaterial when Riyad Mahrez extended City’s aggregate advantage 73 minutes into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, and Madrid looked to be heading out as they still trailed by two goals entering the final minute only for Rodrygo (90, 90+1) to score twice in 90 seconds and force extra time. Five minutes into the first additional period, Benzema was fouled by Rúben Dias and converted the penalty himself to send Ancelotti’s Madrid through in remarkable fashion.
Guardiola’s City were 2-1 winners in both legs against Zinédine Zidane’s Madrid in the 2019/20 Uefa Champions League round of 16 despite falling behind in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on 26 February when Isco gave the home side a 60th-minute lead. Late goals from Jesus (78) and De Bruyne (83), the latter a penalty after Raheem Sterling had been fouled by Dani Carvajal, turned the game around, Madrid ending with ten men as captain Sergio Ramos was dismissed four minutes from time after fouling Jesus.
That was City’s first victory against Madrid and they clinched their aggregate win with a second in the delayed second leg in Manchester on 7 August. Although Sterling’s ninth-minute goal was levelled 19 minutes later by Benzema, Jesus secured another 2-1 victory in the 68th minute.
There was only one goal in the 2015/16 Uefa Champions League semifinal between the clubs. After the first game in Manchester ended scoreless, a 20th-minute own goal from Fernando at the Santiago Bernabéu proved enough to take Zidane’s Madrid into the final, where they beat Atlético on penalties, at the expense of Manuel Pellegrini’s City.
The sides’ only other competitive fixtures came in the 2012/13 group stage, when Madrid twice came from behind to win 3-2 in Spain on Matchday 1. City led twice through Edin Džeko (68) and Aleksandar Kolarov (85) but Madrid responded through Marcelo (76) and Benzema (87) before Cristiano Ronaldo snatched a 90th-minute victory.
It was 1-1 in Manchester, Sergio Agüero’s penalty cancelling out Benzema’s tenth-minute strike. Madrid ended with ten men as Álvaro Arbeloa collected a second yellow card in fouling Agüero to concede that spot kick.
Those four points helped José Mourinho’s Madrid finish second in Group D, behind Borussia Dortmund; City, then managed by Roberto Mancini, ended bottom with three points having not won a game.
Overall the nine previous meetings between the clubs have produced three wins apiece and three draws – though Madrid have scored 14 goals to City’s 13.
FORM GUIDE
MANCHESTER CITY
City’s record in European Cup semifinals is W1 L2:
2015/16 Real Madrid L 0-1 (0-0 h, 0-1 a)
2020/21 Paris Saint-Germain W 4-1 (2-1 a, 2-0 h)
2021/22 Real Madrid L 5-6 (4-3 h, 1-3 a aet)
Only eight clubs have made more Uefa Champions League semifinal appearances than City.
The Manchester club have played in two other Uefa competition semifinals, both in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. They beat Schalke in 1969/70 (0-1 a, 5-1 h) but lost to Chelsea at the same stage the following season (0-1 a, 0-1 h).
This is City’s 12th Uefa Champions League campaign, all in succession; they have featured every season from 2011/12 onwards.
Including this season, the Manchester club’s last ten campaigns have all stretched into the knockout rounds, their best performance coming in 2020/21 when they reached a first European Cup final only to lose 1-0 to fellow English side Chelsea in Porto.
In 2021/22, City finished first in Group A on 12 points, one ahead of Paris, having won four of their six games. They then beat Sporting CP (5-0 a, 0-0 h) and Atlético de Madrid (1-0 h, 0-0 a) but were eliminated by eventual champions Real Madrid in the semifinals.
This season the Manchester club scored 11 goals in winning their first three games, sealing qualification with a goalless draw at Copenhagen on Matchday 4. They were also held 0-0 at Borussia Dortmund in their next fixture before a 3-1 home victory against Sevilla.
Guardiola’s side have now finished first in their Uefa Champions League group for six successive seasons.
City drew 1-1 at Leipzig in the round of 16 first leg before a record-equalling 7-0 home win in the return, in which Erling Haaland scored five goals – only the third player to do so in the Uefa Champions League. That was City’s joint biggest European victory.
Bayern were then beaten 3-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal, City going through thanks to a 1-1 second-leg draw in Germany.
Haaland scored in both legs against Bayern to take his tally to 12 goals in this season’s Uefa Champions League, cementing his place as the competition’s leading scorer.
City are the top scorers in the 2022/23 competition with 27 goals – one more than Madrid and eliminated Napoli.
City won their fourth Premier League title in five seasons in 2021/22, the club’s eighth league title overall – and sixth since 2011/12.
The Cityzens are unbeaten in 25 home European matches (W23 D2) since a 2-1 loss to Lyon on Matchday 1 in 2018/19, winning 17 of the last 18 with the exception of last season’s draw against Sporting. That 25-match run without a home defeat is a new English club record in the Uefa Champions League, overtaking Arsenal’s 24-game sequence from September 2004 to April 2009.
City have won their last five home games against Spanish clubs and are unbeaten in seven (W6 D1), since a 2-1 loss against Barcelona in the 2014/15 Uefa Champions League round of 16 first leg. Their overall record at home to Liga sides is W8 D3 L2, both defeats coming against Barcelona.
Overall, their record against Spanish clubs is W12 D6 L10, with victories in seven of their last ten matches (D2 L1).
The Cityzens won their first home knockout game against Spanish visitors, defeating Athletic Club 3-0 in the 1969/70 European Cup Winners’ Cup first round second leg (6-3 aggregate), but were without a victory in their next four matches (D2 L2) before beating Madrid three seasons ago; they have won both fixtures since.
Last season’s defeat by Madrid made City’s record against Spanish clubs in two-legged knockout ties W3 L5, their 2019/20 success against the Merengues having ended a run of four successive defeats. That win against Madrid was also their first aggregate victory against Liga opponents in the Uefa Champions League, having twice lost to Barcelona in the round of 16, in both 2013/14 (1-4 aggregate) and 2014/15 (1-3 agg), and Madrid in the 2015/16 semifinals.
City have won all eight ties in Uefa competition in which they drew the away first leg, in each case winning the return fixture at home, most recently against Leipzig in this season’s round of 16. That was the second tie in which they had recorded a 1-1 first-leg away draw, the first against Twente in the 1978/79 Uefa Cup first round (3-2 h).
City’s record in two Uefa penalty shoot-outs is W2 L0:
4-2 v Midtjylland, 2008/09 Uefa Cup second qualifying round
4-3 v Aalborg, 2008/09 Uefa Cup round of 16
REAL MADRID
This is Madrid’s 32nd European Cup semifinal, with the record W17 L14:
1955/56 AC Milan W 5-4 (4-2 h, 1-2 a)
1956/57 Manchester United W 5-3 (3-1 h, 2-2 a)
1957/58 Vasas W 4-2 (4-0 h, 0-2 a)
1958/59 Atlético de Madrid W 2-1 replay (2-1 h, 0-1 a)
1959/60 Barcelona W 6-2 (3-1 h, 3-1 a)
1961/62 Standard Liège W 6-0 (4-0 h, 2-0 a)
1963/64 Zürich W 8-1 (2-1 a, 6-0 h)
1965/66 Inter W 2-1 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)
1967/68 Manchester United L 3-4 (0-1 a, 3-3 h)
1972 73 Ajax L 1-3 (1-2 a, 0-1 h)
1975/76 Bayern München L 1-3 (1-1 h, 0-2 a)
1979/80 Hamburg L 3-5 (2-0 h, 1-5 a)
1980/81 Inter W 2-1 (2-0 h, 0-1 a)
1986/87 Bayern München L 2-4 (1-4 a, 1-0 h)
1987/88 PSV Eindhoven L 1-1 away goals (1-1 h, 0-0 a)
1988/89 AC Milan L 1-6 (1-1 h, 0-5 a)
1997/98 Borussia Dortmund W 2-0 (2-0 h, 0-0 a)
1999/00 Bayern München W 3-2 (2-0 h, 1-2 a)
2000/01 Bayern München L 1-3 (0-1 h, 1-2 a)
2001/02 Barcelona W 3-1 (2-0 a, 1-1 h)
2002/03 Juventus L 3-4 (2-1 h, 1-3 a)
2010/11 Barcelona L 1-3 (0-2 h, 1-1 a)
2011/12 Bayern München, L 1-3 on penalties (1-2 a, 2-1 h)
2012/13 Borussia Dortmund L 3-4 (1-4 a, 2-0 h)
2013/14 Bayern München W 5-0 (1-0 h, 4-0 a)
2014/15 Juventus L 2-3 (1-2 a, 1-1 h)
2015/16 Manchester City W 1-0 (0-0 a, 1-0 h)
2016/17 Atlético de Madrid W 4-2 (3-0 h, 1-2 a)
2017/18 Bayern München W 4-3 (2-1 a, 2-2 h)
2020/21 Chelsea L 1-3 (1-1 h, 0-2 a)
2021/22 Manchester City W 6-5 (3-4 a, 3-1 h aet)
Last season was the first time Madrid had come from behind to win a European Cup semifinal after losing the first leg, home or away. They had been eliminated on all eight previous occasions.
Madrid have won four of their last five semifinal ties, having been beaten in five of the previous six.
This is Madrid’s 16th appearance in the Uefa Champions League semifinals, a competition record, four more than Barcelona and Bayern.
This is Madrid’s 27th Uefa Champions League campaign, a record they share with Barcelona – and an unrivalled 26th in a row. All 27 have extended into the knockout rounds.
Madrid claimed their 14th European Cup in 2021/22. Ancelotti’s side had finished first in Group D on 15 points, winning five of their six games, before dramatic knockout wins against Paris (0-1 a, 3-1 h), holders Chelsea (3-1 a, 2-3 h aet) and City led to a 1-0 final defeat of Liverpool.
That made Ancelotti the first coach to win four European Cups; he had been level with Bob Paisley and Zidane on three. The Italian is also the only coach to have taken a team to five finals.
Benzema, Carvajal and Luka Modric all equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of appearing in five Uefa Champions League final victories.
Benzema was top scorer in the 2021/22 Uefa Champions League on 15 goals; ten came in the knockout rounds, equalling Ronaldo’s record in 2016/17, also for Madrid.
Madrid were also Spanish champions in 2021/22, their 35th Liga title overall and a second in three years. It was only the fourth time they had won the league and the European Cup in the same season, after 1956/57, 1957/58 and 2016/17.
Ancelotti’s side have already claimed European silverware this season, goals from David Alaba and Benzema earning a 2-0 victory against Uefa Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the Uefa Super Cup in Helsinki on 10 August. It was Madrid’s fifth Super Cup victory, equalling the competition record of AC Milan and Barcelona.
Madrid also won the Fifa Club World Cup for the fifth time in February, beating Al Ahly of Egypt 4-1 in the semifinal before a 5-3 defeat of Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, Vinícius Júnior and Federico Valverde both scoring twice and Benzema once.
The holders won their first three games in this season’s Uefa Champions League, at Celtic (3-0) and at home to Leipzig (2-0) and Shakhtar Donetsk (2-1), but took only one point from their next two before finishing with a 5-1 home victory against the Scottish champions.
Madrid were again paired with Liverpool in the round of 16, a 5-2 first-leg win at Anfield – the first time they had scored five goals in successive Uefa Champions League matches since 1998 – preceding a 1-0 home win.
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They were then reunited with Chelsea in the quarterfinals for the second year running, easing through after winning 2-0 both home and away.
Madrid have scored at least once in their last 17 Uefa Champions League matches and in all but one of the 24 played over the past two seasons.
The win at Chelsea was Madrid’s 12th in their last 22 Uefa Champions League away games, losing seven including three of the last eight.
Benzema, who scored three times in the round of 16 against Liverpool and once in the first leg against Chelsea, has 20 goals in 28 Uefa Champions League games against English clubs, his largest tally against opposition from a single nation, including seven last season to overtake his 15 goals against German sides. His first-leg goals against Liverpool were his first of this season’s competition. The Frenchman has scored 14 goals in his last 11 knockout phase matches.
Benzema has equalled Lionel Messi’s record of having scored in 18 consecutive seasons in the Uefa Champions League and is the first player to score in 19 successive calendar years in the competition (2005–2023).
Madrid’s record against English clubs is now W24 D14 L16.
Madrid’s record in two-legged knockout ties against English clubs is W13 L6. This season’s wins against Liverpool and Chelsea made it eight aggregate victories in the last ten, although their last two Uefa Champions League eliminations have both been by Premier League opponents – Chelsea in the 2020/21 semifinals and City in the 2019/20 round of 16.
Including the 2021/22 final, this is the eighth time Madrid have been paired with English opposition in their last nine Uefa Champions League knockout ties, and the sixth in a row.
Madrid were without an away win in six games against English clubs, a sequence that included four defeats, before last season’s first-leg victory at Chelsea but have now won three of the last four (L1). Madrid’s overall away record against English clubs is W9 D5 L9.
Madrid have been held at home in the first leg of ten previous Uefa competition ties – all in the European Cup – and have recorded only two aggregate victories, both against Manchester United, in the 1999/2000 quarterfinals (0-0 h, 3-2 a) and the 2012/13 round of 16 (1-1 h, 2-1 a). Most recently, they lost to Chelsea in the 2020/21 semifinals (1-1 h, 0-2 a), the sixth tie in which the opening leg had finished 1-1 and the fourth semifinal – the other three also bringing aggregate defeats, against Bayern in 1975/76 (0-2 a), PSV Eindhoven in 1987/88 (0-0 a) and AC Milan in 1988/89 (0-5 a).
MADRID’S RECORD IN FOUR UEFA PENALTY SHOOTOUTS IS W2 L2:
5-6 v Crvena zvezda, 1974/75 European Cup Winners’ Cup quarterfinal
3-1 v Juventus, 1986/87 European Cup second round
1-3 v Bayern München, 2011/12 Uefa Champions League semifinal
5-3 v Atlético de Madrid, 2015/16 Uefa Champions League final
LINKS AND TRIVIA
Between 2008 and 2012, Guardiola amassed 14 trophies as Barcelona coach, including the Uefa Champions League in 2009 and 2011 – beating Madrid in the semifinals in the latter campaign – and three successive Liga titles (2009–11). Guardiola met Madrid 15 times as Barcelona coach (W9 D4 L2) and outscored the Merengues 33-15. In his playing days for Barça, Guardiola’s Liga record against Madrid was W6 D5 L3.
Guardiola’s Bayern side lost 5-0 on aggregate to Ancelotti’s Madrid (0-1 a, 0-4 h) in the 2013/14 Uefa Champions League semifinals. Ancelotti replaced Guardiola as Bayern coach in 2016.
Ancelotti was Chelsea manager between 2009 and 2011, winning the 2009/10 Premier League and FA Cup double. The Italian was also in charge of Everton between 2019 and 2021. He has only beaten City twice in ten meetings – in last season’s semifinal second leg and a 2-0 victory as Chelsea coach in March 2011 – losing seven, including five against a City side led by Guardiola. The draw in the opening leg of this tie was his first against the Manchester club.
HAVE PLAYED IN ENGLAND:
Luka Modric (Tottenham 2008–12)
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea 2014–18)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea 2012–19)
Dani Ceballos (Arsenal 2019–21 loan)
Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea 2017–22)
Rüdiger was in the Chelsea team that beat City 1-0 in the 2021 Uefa Champions League final in Porto.
HAVE PLAYED IN SPAIN:
Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club 2012–18)
Rodri (Villarreal 2016–18, Atlético Madrid 2018/19)
INTERNATIONAL TEAMMATES
Ederson & Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
Kevin De Bruyne & Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Aymeric Laporte, Rodri & Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Marco Asensio, Lucas Vázquez, Dani Ceballos (Spain)
Aurélien Tchouameni scored the opening goal as France beat England 2-1 in the 2022 Fifa World Cup quarterfinals. Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and substitute Jack Grealish featured for England, while Kalvin Phillips and Eduardo Camavinga were unused replacements.
Modric scored in the penalty shoot-out as Croatia knocked Brazil out of the 2022 World Cup in the quarterfinals. Vinícius Júnior, Militão and Rodrygo all featured against their Real Madrid teammate with Ederson an unused substitute.
Julián Álvarez scored twice as Argentina beat Modric’s Croatia 3-0 in the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Tchouameni missed a penalty in the final shoot-out as Álvarez’s Argentina won the trophy after a 3-3 draw. Camavinga came on as a France substitute.
Laporte played every minute as Spain reached the semifinals of Uefa EURO 2020, knocking out Modric’s Croatia in the round of 16.
A Benzema goal helped France beat a Spain side containing Rodri and Laporte 2-1 in the final of the Uefa Nations League on 10 October 2021.
LATEST NEWS
MANCHESTER CITY
City have won 16 of their last 18 games in all competitions, including five in a row before the first-leg draw in Madrid. The other exception was another 1-1 draw, at Bayern in the quarterfinal second leg.
The English champions made it 11 successive league victories on Sunday with a 3-0 win at Everton, Ilkay Gündogan scoring twice and also providing the cross for Erling Haaland to head City’s second goal. They are now four points clear of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand, and will secure a successful Premier League title defence with three points from their last three fixtures.
Gündogan has four goals in his last two league games.
Mahrez provided the cross for Gündogan’s first goal on Sunday, the Algerian’s tenth Premier League assist of the season – his most for City.
Pep Guardiola’s side won 4-1 at home to then Premier League leaders Arsenal on 26 April and took over at the top with a 2-1 win at Fulham four days later. It was the first time they had been top of the table since 18 February.
City were 3-0 winners at home to West Ham on 3 May and beat Leeds, also at home, 2-1 on 6 May.
That made it 14 successive victories in all competitions at the City of Manchester Stadium for City, who have won all but two of their 28 home games in all competitions in 2022/23; a 2-1 Premier League loss against Brentford on 12 November is their only defeat.
City have won all 14 home games in all competitions in 2023, scoring 49 goals and conceding only six.
Haaland had scored in three successive league games before drawing a blank against Leeds. His strike against West Ham made it 35 for the season, a new Premier League record, surpassing the 34-goal totals of Andy Cole (Newcastle, 1993/94) and Alan Shearer (Blackburn, 1994/95).
Haaland’s tally of 36 goals is the most in the English top flight since Ron Davies scored 37 for Southampton in 1966/67.
The Norwegian has scored in 11 of his last 14 games in all competitions – 19 goals in total. His goal at Fulham was his 50th club strike of the season and he has since taken that total to 52, with four in his last seven appearances.
The win against West Ham made it 1 000 City goals in all competitions under Guardiola, the most of any side in Europe’s top five leagues since he joined in 2016, and over 200 more than any other Premier League side in the same period; Liverpool are second on 797 goals.
Guardiola’s side have scored 46 goals in their last 14 fixtures.
The Manchester club are also unbeaten in their last 11 away matches in all competitions (W7 D4), since a run of three successive away losses between 11 January and 5 February. They have lost just four of their 25 away games this season (W13 D8); the draws at Bayern and Madrid are the only games in the last eight they have not won.
Haaland’s penalty winner in a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace on 11 March was his 28th Premier League goal of the season, beating his previous best total for a league campaign – 27 for Borussia Dortmund in 2020/21.
Twenty-two of Haaland’s league goals this season have come at home with 14 away. He is only the second City player to reach double figures for goals home and away, after Sergio Agüero (13 home, 13 away) in 2014/15.
Haaland’s 27th goal came in a 4-1 win at Bournemouth on 25 February, overtaking Agüero’s 26-goal mark in 2014/15 as the highest tally for a City player in a single Premier League campaign.
A 1-0 loss at Tottenham on 5 February was City’s fourth Premier League defeat of the season, one more than in the whole of 2021/22. They have not lost since.
Guardiola’s side have 85 points after 35 Premier League games this season, one fewer than at the same stage in 2021/22.
The Cityzens beat Championship side Sheffield United 3-0 in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley on 22 April thanks to a Mahrez hat-trick that took City into the final for the 12th time.
City will face local rivals Manchester United in the final at Wembley on 3 June. They are looking to win the trophy for the seventh time and the first since 2019.
City were knocked out of the English League Cup by a 2-0 quarterfinal loss at Southampton on 11 January. That is their only defeat by more than one goal all season.
Nathan Aké suffered a hamstring injury against Leeds and has not played since.
REAL MADRID
Karim Benzema made his 150th appearance in the Uefa Champions League, group stage to final, in the quarterfinal second leg at Chelsea. He was the fifth player to reach that mark, after former Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo (183 matches) and Iker Casillas (177) plus Lionel Messi (163) and Xavi Hernández (151).
Toni Kroos made his 150th appearance in Uefa club competition at Chelsea, becoming the 16th player to reach that mark.
Madrid made eight changes for Saturday’s 1-0 home win against Getafe, Marco Asensio scoring the only goal in the 70th minute.
Since the resumption of domestic football following the 2022 Fifa World Cup, Asensio has nine goals and five assists in all competitions – more goal contributions than any other Spanish player across Europe’s top five leagues.
Asensio’s goal was Madrid’s 16th from outside the penalty area this season – also the most across Europe’s top five leagues.
On 6 May, two Rodrygo goals gave Madrid a 2-1 win against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final at Seville’s Estadio de La Cartuja. It was their 20th triumph in the competition from their 40th final appearance and a first since 2013/14.
Madrid have won three of their last six games in all competitions, all the victories coming at home – 2-0 against Celta Vigo on 22 April and 4-2 against Almería seven days later prior to the weekend win.
Benzema scored a first-half hat-trick against Almería and has ten goals in his last ten Madrid appearances – which includes three trebles.
The Frenchman’s three goals against Almería took him on to 236 Liga strikes and into fourth place, above Hugo Sánchez (234), in the all-time scoring charts. Messi (474 goals), Ronaldo (311) and Telmo Zarra (252) make up the top three.
Benzema also scored hat-tricks in Madrid’s 6-0 win at home to Valladolid on 2 April, their biggest Liga victory of the season, and the 4-0 victory at Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg three days later.
Madrid have lost their last two away games, going down 4-2 at Girona on 25 April and 2-0 at Real Sociedad on 2 May.
Vinícius Júnior has four goals and ten assists in his last 12 games in all competitions, setting up Rodrygo’s first goal in the Copa del Rey final.
Federico Valverde, who made his 200th Madrid appearance at the weekend, has 12 goals in all competitions this season, the second highest total for a Madrid midfielder in the last decade behind James Rodríguez’s 2014/15 total of 17. He has not scored for Madrid, however, since 18 February.
Madrid claimed the Fifa Club World Cup for a record-extending fifth time with a 5-3 victory against Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia on 11 February; they had beaten Egypt’s Al Ahly 4-1 in the semifinals three days earlier.
Vinícius Júnior and Valverde both scored once in the semifinal and twice in the final; 21-year-old Sergio Arribas got his first senior Madrid goal in the semifinal, just 28 seconds after coming on.
Madrid beat Valencia 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on 11 January, losing the final 3-1 to Barcelona four days later. Benzema scored in each game.
Ferland Mendy returned from a hamstring injury suffered against Atlético de Madrid in the Copa del Rey on 26 January in a 2-1 defeat at Barcelona on 19 March, coming on as a second-half substitute, but subsequently suffered a calf problem. He made his comeback on Saturday, playing the first half before being replaced.