What is Manchester City’s biggest ever defeat in the Champions League?

As one of Europe’s best teams over the last decade, it’s not often Manchester City fall 3-0 behind in the Champions League. However, that’s exactly what happened in the first leg of their round of 16 tie at the Bernabéu, with Fede Valverde scoring a hat trick in the first half for Real Madrid.

That left City just one goal from matching their heaviest ever defeat in the Champions League, which they first entered in 2011-12. Vinicius Junior passed up a glorious chance to score a fourth for Madrid, but his casual penalty was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma just before the hour.

City’s biggest UCL losses

Before City truly threatened to win the competition, which they did in 2023, they suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Madrid’s bitter rivals, Barcelona. Lionel Messi “did a Valverde” in a group stage clash at Camp Nou, netting three of the Catalans’ four goals.

That remains City’s biggest ever defeat in the competition, followed by a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the first leg of the quarterfinals at Anfield in 2018 and a 4-1 beating by Sporting in the league phase last season.

Shocking early-season upset

Although it wasn’t their heaviest Champions League defeat, Pep Guardiola’s team suffered their most surprising reverse earlier this season away to Bodø/Glimt, with the Norwegian champions stunning the Premier League heavyweights 3-1 in the Arctic Circle.

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