Manchester City are on the verge of equaling the UEFA Champions League record formerly set by Manchester United during the golden era of Sir Alex Ferguson.
What happened?
The defending champions locked horns against 14-time European Champions, Real Madrid in their first leg tie of the 2023/2024 Champions League quarter-final at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, April 9.
The clash of the champions ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw where Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias (OG), Rodrygo, Phil Foden, Gvardiol, and Federico Valverde all appeared on the scoresheet. It was a massive contest with both sides scoring fantastic goals and being tactically sharp.
The game saw the blue side of Manchester moving a step closer to the UEFA Champions League unbeaten record set by Manchester United during the prolific career of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Manchester United have a record of 25 games unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League between September 2007 and May 2009. It is the longest unbeaten streak in Champions League history by a comfortable margin, making the three-time European champions the first English team to achieve the feat.
The achievement featured 10 wins and five draws, one of which was the 2008 final, which Manchester United won on penalties against Chelsea.
The Red Devils took the run to 25 before suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the final in 2009.
They also achieved the feat during their 1998-99 campaign, the Red Devils put together a stunning 16-game unbeaten streak.
Manchester City, on the other hand, have gone 22 matches unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League. However, the last time Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a defeat in the competition was against Real Madrid in 2022.
It is the third consecutive encounter between the clubs in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Madrid eliminated Man City in the semifinals in 2022, while the Cityzens got the best of Real Madrid at the same stage in 2023. Both teams went on to win the title after eliminating each other.
The next on the list is Bayern Munich who have a record of 19 games unbeaten run from 2019 to 2021.
They were the first team to win a European Cup or Champions League with a 100% record during the 2019-2020 season.
Recently, the German powerhouse settled for a 2-2 draw against Arsenal leaving them with much work to do when they host Mikel Arteta and his men at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday, April 17.
Ajax Amsterdam are also one of the European powerhouses that have experienced stunning stats in the UEFA Champions League.
The Netherlands outfit have once gone 19 games unbeaten in the European competition from 1994 to 1996.
FC Barcelona are another Spanish side with an outstanding record in the UEFA Champions League, winning the European most prestigious trophy five times.
However, during their 2011-2012 Champions League campaign, Catalonia went 16 games unbeaten under the leadership of former manager Pep Guardiola.
Perhaps the greatest club side football lovers have ever seen, Barcelona were regularly betting favorites to win the competition around this period. Lionel Messi was at his peak, and Pep Guardiola’s side were a relentless winning machine.
Real Madrid also made a remarkable mark in the competition from 2016 to 2017 where they secured an outstanding record of 15 games unbeaten.
The Los Blancos won three successive Champions Leagues. This span increased their lead in numerous categories.
What’s next for Manchester City?
Manchester City will be looking to extend their Champions League unbeaten run when they host Real Madrid in the 2023/2024 quarter-final second-leg tie at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, April 17.
