Actual Madrid will face Manchester Metropolis within the Spherical of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
The matchup represents the fifth knockout-stage assembly between the golf equipment in current seasons. It’ll additionally mark their tenth and eleventh encounters within the competitors since 2020.
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The recurring draw has cemented the fixture as one of many defining rivalries of the trendy Champions League period. Their earlier conferences have incessantly come at pivotal phases and have helped form the result of the event.
Picture by Julian Finney/Getty Photographs
Journalist says frustration rising inside Actual Madrid
Damian Casol, a Spanish journalist, there’s mounting frustration inside Actual Madrid after as soon as once more being paired with Manchester Metropolis.
The report suggests there’s a notion contained in the membership that the matchup has grow to be an annual prevalence.
“At Actual Madrid, there’s a sense of frustration following the UEFA Champions League draw. Throughout the membership, there’s a sense that they preserve being paired with Manchester Metropolis yr after yr.
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“In actual fact, Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rüdiger have now confronted Metropolis extra instances as Madrid gamers than they ever did throughout their spell at Chelsea.”
The numbers considerably help that declare. Thibaut Courtois confronted Manchester Metropolis seven instances throughout his Chelsea tenure from 2014 to 2018, however has already met them 9 instances with Actual Madrid, with two extra fixtures now on the schedule.
Courtois and Rudiger getting ready for an additional chapter
Antonio Rüdiger encountered Manchester Metropolis 9 instances as a Chelsea participant earlier than his transfer to Spain in 2022.
Since becoming a member of Actual Madrid, he has confronted them six instances, and the upcoming ties will elevate that complete to eight in Madrid colors.
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The Spherical of 16 showdown provides one other instalment to a rivalry that has outlined European competitors lately.
For a number of Madrid gamers, repeated battles with Metropolis have grow to be a constant characteristic of their Champions League journey.
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