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Manchester City came from behind to claim a 2-1 halftime lead at Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

Rodrygo, recalled to the starting lineup with Kylian Mbappe only fit enough for a place on the bench, opened the scoring after 28 minutes of end-to-end action.

The Brazil winger came into the match on an interminable scoring drought of 32 games but capped an incisive counter-attack on the end of Jude Bellingham’s pass, driving beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma for a fifth goal against City in nine appearances.

Madrid’s lead was short-lived as Nico O’Reilly was left unmarked to dispatch a maiden Champions League goal after Thibaut Courtois saved Josko Gvardiol’s header from Rayan Cherki’s right-wing corner.

City hit the front two minutes before the break when Antonio Rudiger was penalised for a clumsy foul on Erling Haaland after a VAR review. The superstar striker rolled home his sixth Champions League goal of the campaign from the penalty spot.

The Sporting News is following the Real Madrid vs. Manchester City match live, providing score updates and commentary

Real Madrid vs. Man City score

Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Referee: Clement Turpin

Confirmed lineups:

Real Madrid (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Thibaut Courtois (GK) — 8. Federico Valverde, 17. Raul Asencio, 22. Antonio Rudiger, 18. Alvaro Carreras —19. Dani Ceballos, 14. Aurelien Tchouameni, 5. Jude Bellingham — 11. Rodrygo, 16. Gonzalo Garcia, 7. Vinicius Junior

Man City (4-2-2-2, right to left): 25. Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) — 27. Matheus Nunes, 3. Ruben Dias, 24. Josko Gvardiol, 33. Nico O’Reilly — 20. Bernardo Silva, 14. Nico Gonzalez — 10. Rayan Cherki, 47. Phil Foden — 9. Erling Haaland, 11. Jeremy Doku

MORE: How Erling Haaland caused a ‘historic period for the country of Norway

Real Madrid vs. Man City live updates, highlights, and commentary

62 mins: Donnarumma sets Doku on his way with a lovely pass down the line. The Belgium winger keeps going and it needs a save at full stretch from his compatriot Courtois. Foden wastes the corner.

59 mins: Chance for City as Cherki almost threads the needle. Guardiola would dearly love to stop these Madrid counters, though. O’Reilly on point to thwart Rodrygo this time.

58 mins: Arda Guler coming on for Gonzalo, which should mean a more advanced role for Bellingham.

55 mins: Wild swipe from Valverde on Doku, advantage played but no dice for City. It seems the referee isn’t going to go back and book Valverde, which is remarkable.

52 mins; Back come Madrid, Rodrygo goes for glory and spanks over.

51 mins: Ohhhh, that’s another fine reaction from Courtois. Cherki fashions room to shoot and the deflection off Asencio further complicates matters. Superb reaction save, low down to his left and close to his body.

50 mins: Doku has Madrid backpedalling but Carreras gets his team out once again with some brilliant play. It’s another lovely counter attack but Bellingham gets his finish all wrong, scooping over/

48 mins: Haaland catching his breath after taking an interception from Carreras amid ships.

Kickoff: 2nd Half

We’re back underway. City left Madrid waiting out of the turf for quite a while before the resumption. How are your nerves? No changes for either side.

Halftime

Each time Manchester City have been behind in the Premier League this season – against Tottenham, Brighton, Aston Villa and Newcastle – they’ve lost the game. After going behind to Rodrygo’s fine opener tonight, they’re winning 2-1 at Real Madrid. Funny old game.

45 mins: OUTSTANDING DOUBLE SAVE FROM COURTOIS! O’Reilly tears forward on the break. Te cross finds Haaland, who thunders goalwards. Brilliant stop from Courtois down to his left and the Belgium star then keeps out a rasping follow-up from Cherki.

42 mins: GGGGGGOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Erling Haaland (pen)!!!!

Haaland has been on fairly wretched form from 12 yards lately but that’s beautifully done as he sits Courtois down and rolls home.

42 mins: PENALTY TO MANCHESTER CITY! Yep, so untidy by Rudiger. Haaland vs. Courtois…

40 mins: Doku and O’Reilly combine down the left and Haaland goes down in a heap under Rudiger’s challenge. That was messy and will be checked.

35 mins: GGGGGGOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Nico O’Reilly!!!!!

City level and what a place for O’Reilly to score his first Champions League goal. Gvardiol rose highest to meet the corner. Courtois saves but was slightly unsighted by O’Reilly, who reacts first to tap home.

33 mins: Nunes raids into the Madrid box but his cross is behind Haaland and City are exposed on the break again. Madrid over-play slightly and Dias is able to avert further damage.

31 mins: Rodrygo slips with no one near him and that looks really painful. He’s going to try to carry on. Hearts in mouths there for a second. Meanwhile, Doku and Asencio just had a profound disagreement that their teammates weighed in on.

28 mins: GGGOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! Rodrygo!!!!!!

The Brazilian ends his absurd 32-game goal drought with a fine finish. It all came from Silva being ransacked by Carreras. Madrids drive forward, through Bellingham and Rodrygo dispatches his fifth goal against City firmly across Donnarumma.

22 mins: Haaland and Asencio have a coming together that ends with the Madrid man on the deck. Guardiola shares some thoughts with the fourth official.

18 mins: Rodrygo to take the free-kick, Tchouameni glances wide. Not sure Donnarumma was getting there.

17 mins: Gvardiol heads clear. Madrid get back at City, though, and Nico hacks Rodrygo down. Replays show the previous cross did hit Nunes’ elbow but his arms were down by his side.

16 mins: Vinicius twisting and turning in the City box. Winds a corner. Wants a penalty for a handball that exists purely in his own mind.

11 mins: Foden trips Rodrygo near halfway and is the first player into the book tonight. Silva the only City player on the yellow card disciplinary tightrope coming into this one.

10 mins: City belatedly into some calm possession. They don’t do that nearly as much as they used to. Doku on the edge of the box, where Ceballos makes a smart challenge.

7 mins: O’Reilly with a teasing ball into the box that’s just in front of Cherki. Madrid break at warp speed. Rodrygo to Vinicius with a lovely low cross. It has Donnarumma in two minds and the Brazil winger dinks wide.

4 mins: Ohhhhhh, just wide! Valverde clattered goalwards but it was deflected just wide with Donnarumma rooted. City deal with the corner and emerge from the early storm.

3 mins: NO PENALTY! A foul as the day is long but it’s just outside the box.

2 mins: PENALTY TO REAL MADRID! O’Reilly gets into a mess in the Madrid half and the host break. Gvardiol snuffs out the danger but Silva then can’t get out and Nunes brings down Vinicius. Penalty… but hang on 

Kickoff: 1st Half

City captain Bernardo Silva gets the ball rolling.

5 mins before kickoff: The teams are in the tunnel. Can Madrid get themselves back on track or will City gain a measure of revenge for their Champions League exits against these opponents in each of the past two seasons?

40 mins before kickoff: Mbappe hit a hat-trick against City last season and has seven career goals against the Premier League team overall. However, Rodrygo also has an excellent record against Pep Guardiola’s side and the travelling fans will be dreading an end to his goal drought tonight.

1 hr 10 mins before kickoff: Here’s the Madrid team. Starts for Dani Ceballos and Rodrygo. Mbappe is fit enough for a spot on the bench.

📋✅ Our starting XI!
🆚 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/oAN3cEk73N

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 10, 2025

1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: The teams are in. City are unchanged from the team that beat Sunderland 3-0 at the weekend.

Your City team to face Real Madrid 😤🩵

XI | Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Nico, Bernardo (C), Foden, Cherki, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Trafford, Bettinelli, Reijnders, Ake, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Khusanov, Bobb, Lewis pic.twitter.com/VoT9x7YVwo

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 10, 2025

1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: At the start of last month, when Real Madrid followed up their Clasico win over Barcelona with a 4-0 thrashing of Valencia, things were looking rosy for Xabi Alonso. He’d won 13 of 14 games in charge of Madrid. Now, after two wins in seven and a defeat to Celta Vigo at the weekend, Alonso is apparently on the brink.

Lose to City tonight and he is tipped to be sacked. Why are Real Madrid like this? We’ve tried to unpack it a little below.

MORE: Xabi Alonso facing sack rumours highlights Real Madrid’s unsolvable manager problem

2 hours before kickoff. Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the Champions League.

Real Madrid vs. Man City kick off time

The Champions League match kicks off in Madrid, Spain at 9 p.m. local time.

Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Real Madrid vs. Man City lineups, team news

With so much on the line for Xabi Alonso, it would have been an enormous blow for Kylian Mbappe to miss this match. Despite nursing a knee injury, the France superstar has made the bench.

Rodrygo and Club World Cup hero Gonzalo Garcia join Vinicius Junior in the front three.

Alonso also has a litany of defensive concerns to work around. Eder Militao and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been recently added to the long list of injury absences along the back line, which already included Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy.

Eduardo Camavinga has picked up an ankle issue, meaning Dani Ceballos makes a rare start in midfield.

Real Madrid (4-3-3, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras —Ceballos, Tchouameni, Bellingham — Rodrygo, G. Garcia, Vinicius Jr.

Real Madrid subs: Lunin (GK), Gonzalez (GK), Endrick, Mbappe, Guler, F. Garcia, Brahim, Cestero, Mastantuono, Martinez, Valdepenas

Rodri remains out due to a hamstring problem alongside long-term absentee Mateo Kovacic.

John Stones has been a mainstay in the Champions League this season, but is also out as Guardiola sticks with the configuration that has served him well in the Premier League of late.

Rayan Cherki marked his return to the first XI with two assists in a sparkling performance against Sunderland and is retained against the 15-time European champions.

Man City (4-2-2-2, right to left): Donnarumma (GK) — Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly — Silva, Nico — Cherki, Foden — Haaland, Doku

Man City subs: Trafford (GK), Bettinelli (GK), Reijnders, Ake, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Khusanov, Bobb, Lewis

Real Madrid vs. Man City live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions: