Contrast in experience as City welcome Madrid

The contrast in European Cup semi-final experience could scarcely be more extreme as Manchester City FC host Real Madrid CF in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-four tie.

• While this is a first semi-final in the competition for City, Madrid are in the last four for a record 27th time – they have won 13 and lost 13 of their previous semi-finals.

• Indeed, this is only City's third European semi-final across UEFA's club competitions, and their first since 1971. They beat FC Schalke 04 5-2 on aggregate in the 1969/70 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals and lost 2-0 to Chelsea FC over two legs at the same stage of the same competition the following season.

• Madrid, meanwhile, are in their 32nd European semi-final; their record is W17 L14. Although they are in a sixth successive UEFA Champions League semi-final, they have won only once in that sequence – against FC Bayern München in 2013/14, when they went on to win a tenth title.

Previous meetings
• The clubs' only competitive fixtures came in the 2012/13 group stage, when Madrid twice came from behind to win 3-2 in Spain on matchday one. City led twice courtesy of Edin Džeko (68) and Aleksandar Kolarov (85) but Madrid responded through Marcelo (76) and Karim Benzema (87) before Cristiano Ronaldo snatched a 90th-minute victory.

• The teams at the Santiago Bernabéu on 18 September 2012 were:
Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Khedira (Modrić 73), Xabi Alonso; Di María, Essien (Özil 65), Ronaldo; Higuaín (Benzema 73).
Manchester City: Hart; Maicon (Zabaleta 74), Kompany, Nastasić, Clichy; Javi García; Silva (Džeko 63), Y Touré, Barry, Nasri (Kolarov 37); Tévez.

• 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.

• The sides at the City of Manchester Stadium on 21 November 2012 were:
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasić; Maicon, Y Touré, Silva, Nasri (Tévez 60), Kolarov (Javi García 46); Agüero (Milner 88), Džeko.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrão; Khedira, Xabi Alonso; Di María (Albiol 87), Modrić (Callejón 68), Ronaldo; Benzema (Varane 75).

• 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.

Match background

Manchester City
• City's last two UEFA Champions League campaigns ended in round of 16 defeat by Barcelona, in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

• The 3-1 aggregate win against Dynamo Kyiv in this season's round of 16 – 3-1 away, 0-0 home – was City's first European Cup knockout victory. Aside from those Barcelona defeats, their only previous tie was a 2-1 aggregate loss to Fenerbahçe SK in the 1968/69 first round.

• City claimed their second knockout win with a 1-0 home defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final second leg, completing a 3-2 aggregate success.

• Manuel Pellegrini's side have won three and drawn one of their five home UEFA Champions League games this season, although they did suffer a 2-1 loss to Juventus on matchday one.

• The Manchester club have already met Spanish opposition in this season's competition, beating Sevilla FC 2-1 at home and 3-1 away in the group stage.

• City's home record against Spanish sides is W3 D2 L2, both defeats coming against Barcelona. Overall it is W5 D3 L7.

• Their record in two-legged ties with Spanish sides is W1 L3.

• City may have never been in the semi-finals before, but Pellegrini's Villarreal CF team got this far in 2005/06, losing 1-0 to Arsenal FC over two legs.

Real Madrid
• While Madrid are in the last four for the sixth season running, they have lost five of their last six UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Of those ties, they suffered four defeats and picked up one draw away from home, the sole exception the 4-0 victory at FC Bayern München in the 2013/14 second leg.

• Madrid lost their last away game in the UEFA Champions League, going down 2-0 at VfL Wolfsburg in the quarter-final first leg – they won the return 3-0 to progress. They had previously collected three wins and a draw away from home this campaign.

• The 2-1 loss at Juventus in last season's semi-final first leg is the other of only two defeats in Madrid's last 12 European away games, with eight victories in that time.

• Madrid have won on their last three visits to England, against Tottenham Hotspur FC (1-0, 2010/11), Manchester United FC (2-1, 2012/13) and Liverpool FC (3-0, 2014/15).

• The Merengues are unbeaten in their last eight games against English clubs (W6 D2) since a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in the 2008/09 round of 16 second leg – their heaviest UEFA Champions League loss.

• Madrid's record in two-legged ties against English opponents is W7 L4.

• The Spanish side's record in England is W6 D3 L5; overall it is W13 D9 L10.

• Madrid's overall European Cup semi-final record is W13 L13:
2-3 v Juventus, 2014/15 (1-2 a, 1-1 h)
5-0 v FC Bayern München, 2013/14 (1-0 h, 4-0 a)
3-4 v Borussia Dortmund, 2012/13 (1-4 a, 2-0 h)
3-3 v FC Bayern München, 1-3 on penalties, 2011/12 (1-2 a, 2-1 h)
1-3 v FC Barcelona, 2010/11 (0-2 h, 1-1 a)
3-4 v Juventus, 2002/03 (2-1 h, 1-3 a)
3-1 v FC Barcelona, 2001/02 (2-0 a, 1-1 h)
1-3 v FC Bayern München, 2000/01 (0-1 h, 1-2 a)
3-2 v FC Bayern München, 1999/2000 (2-0 h, 1-2 a)
2-0 v Borussia Dortmund, 1997/98 (2-0 h, 0-0 a)
1-6 v AC Milan, 1988/89 (1-1 h, 0-5 a)
1-1 v PSV Eindhoven, lost on away goals, 1987/88 (1-1 h, 0-0 a)
2-4 v FC Bayern München, 1986/87 (1-4 a, 1-0 h)
2-1 v FC Internazionale Milano, 1980/81 (2-0 h, 0-1 a)
3-5 v Hamburger SV, 1979/80 (2-0 h, 1-5 a)
1-3 v FC Bayern München, 1975/76 (1-1 h, 0-2 a)
1-3 v AFC Ajax, 1972/73 (1-2 a, 0-1 h)
3-4 v Manchester United FC, 1967/68 (0-1 a, 3-3 h)
2-1 v FC Internazionale Milano, 1965/66 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)
8-1 v FC Zürich, 1963/64 (2-1 a, 6-0 h)
6-0 v R. Standard de Liège, 1961/62 (4-0 h, 2-0 a)
6-2 v FC Barcelona, 1959/60 (3-1 h, 3-1 a)
2-1 (replay) v Club Atlético de Madrid, 1958/59 (2-1 h, 0-1 a, 2-1 replay)
4-2 v Vasas SC, 1957/58 (4-0 h, 0-2 a)
5-3 v Manchester United FC, 1956/57 (3-1 h, 2-2 a)
5-4 v AC Milan, 1955/56 (4-2 h, 1-2 a)

Coach and player links
• City manager Pellegrini was in charge of Madrid in 2009/10, being replaced by Mourinho despite achieving a then club record 96 points but finishing second in the Liga to Barcelona. His side were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16 by Olympique Lyonnais and were eliminated from the Copa del Rey by third-tier Alcorcón.

• Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Álvaro Arbeloa are the only surviving squad members of Pellegrini's Madrid reign.

• Pellegrini was in charge of Villarreal from 2004 to 2009 – his team finishing runners-up to Madrid in the Liga in 2007/08 – and Málaga CF from 2010 to 2013. His record against Madrid was W3 D5 L10; those losses included a 5-0 home defeat with Villarreal in September 2007 and 7-0 (March 2011) and 6-2 (May 2013) reverses at the Bernabéu with Málaga.

• Ronaldo played for City's local rivals Manchester United between 2003 and 2009, scoring 84 goals in 196 Premier League games. He won league titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and scored in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final, when Sir Alex Ferguson's side beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow. Ronaldo was also in the side beaten by Barcelona 12 months later, his final United appearance before moving to Madrid.

• Ronaldo's record against City with United was W7 D1 L3. He scored four goals – all in United wins, including the only one in a 1-0 success at the City of Manchester Stadium in May 2007, but was sent off twice in away games: City's 4-1 win in March 2004 and a 1-0 United triumph in November 2008.

• Sergio Agüero failed to beat Real Madrid in five years at Atlético Madrid between 2006 and 2011, when he departed for City. His record was D3 L8, scoring three goals – all in Atlético defeats.  

Gareth Bale celebrates his goal against City in 2013©AFP/Getty Images

• Gareth Bale scored in Tottenham Hotspur FC's 3-1 win against City in April 2013 and a 3-2 loss in January 2012.

• Luka Modrić and Bale were in the Tottenham side that won 1-0 at City in May 2010 to earn UEFA Champions League qualification at their opponents' expense.

• Arbeloa's own goal gave City a 1-1 draw at Liverpool in February 2009.

• International team-mates:
David Silva, Jesús Navas & Sergio Ramos, Nacho Fernández and Isco (Spain);
Fernandinho & Marcelo and Casemiro (Brazil)
Bacary Sagna & Karim Benzema (France)

• Twice a Spanish champion with Barcelona, Yaya Touré appeared five times against Madrid, winning three times and losing twice.

• Silva (RC Celta de Vigo, Valencia CF), Pablo Zabaleta (RCD Espanyol), Nicolás Otamendi (Valencia), Martín Demichelis and Willy Caballero (both Málaga CF) and Jesús Navas (Sevilla FC) have all played in Spain.

• Danilo and Fernando played together for Porto between 2012 and 2014.

• Benzema took on Joe Hart in France's 1-1 draw with England at UEFA EURO 2012, Samir Nasri – not in City's UEFA Champions League squad – equalising for Les Bleus. Alonso scored both goals in Spain's quarter-final defeat of a France side including Benzema, Nasri and Gaël Clichy.

Match facts

Manchester City

• City are seven games unbeaten in all competitions.

• Sergio Agüero scored a hat-trick as City triumphed 3-0 at Chelsea FC on 16 April and brought up a century of Premier League goals with the opener in the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United FC three days later.

• Agüero reached the milestone in 147 appearances. Only Alan Shearer (124 games) achieved it in fewer matches.

• Sterling came on as a second-half substitute away to Newcastle – his first appearance since 20 March following a groin injury.

• Kompany (out since 15 March, calf) also made his return at St James' Park, playing the full 90 minutes.

Real Madrid

• Cristiano Ronaldo has 16 goals in this season's competition – one short of his own record for a single European Cup campaign, set in 2013/14.

• Ronaldo is the second highest scorer in the Liga this season behind Luis Suárez (34) on 31 goals, and is the first player in the league's history to have found the net 30 times in six consecutive seasons.

• Ronaldo was forced off at the end of Madrid's 3-0 win over Villarreal on 20 April with suspected cramp, and missed the 3-2 weekend win at Rayo Vallecano de Madrid.

• Gareth Bale (muscle discomfort) and Dani Carvajal (knock) missed the win over Villarreal. Carvajal missed the Rayo game too, but Bale returned, scoring twice.

• Bale's tally now stands at 18 for the season, beating his previous best in Spain of 15 goals, set in 2013/14.

• Benzema had scored in his last four league games until Saturday, when he was taken off in the first half against Rayo. He has 23 goals this season – his best tally since joining Madrid in 2009.

• Madrid are the only side to have scored more than 100 goals in seven consecutive La Liga seasons; they have 104 in 2015/16.

• Madrid have won nine league games in a row, their best run since December 2014 under Carlo Ancelotti (12).