As City prepare to begin another Champions League campaign, it is easy to forget just how quickly the competition went from being an adventure to an expectation.
Tonight’s trip to Porto begins City’s 15th consecutive season in the Champions League. From struggling to escape the group to lifting the trophy in Istanbul, there has been a bit of everything along the way.
Man City’s Champions League record season by season
| Season | Finish |
|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Group stage |
| 2012/13 | Group stage |
| 2013/14 | Round of 16 |
| 2014/15 | Round of 16 |
| 2015/16 | Semi-finals |
| 2016/17 | Round of 16 |
| 2017/18 | Quarter-finals |
| 2018/19 | Quarter-finals |
| 2019/20 | Quarter-finals |
| 2020/21 | Runners-up |
| 2021/22 | Semi-finals |
| 2022/23 | Winners |
| 2023/24 | Quarter-finals |
| 2024/25 | Knockout phase play-offs |
| 2025/26 | Round of 16 |
Those first two campaigns were a fairly brutal introduction. City finished behind Bayern Munich and Napoli in 2011/12 before failing to win a single group game the following season, when Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax provided the opposition.
The breakthrough came gradually. Manuel Pellegrini took City into the knockout stages for the first time and then, in 2015/16, all the way to a first semi-final before Real Madrid ended the run.
From near misses to Istanbul
Pep Guardiola’s arrival changed the expectations. There were painful exits against Monaco in 2017, Liverpool in 2018, Tottenham in 2019 and Lyon in 2020 before City finally reached the final in 2021, only to lose 1-0 to Chelsea.
Real Madrid then produced that extraordinary late comeback in the 2022 semi-final. Twelve months later, City got their revenge, beating Madrid 5-1 on aggregate before Rodri’s goal against Inter finally brought the Champions League trophy to Manchester.
Since Istanbul, Europe has become awkward again. City went unbeaten in 2023/24 but lost their quarter-final against Madrid on penalties, before the same opponents beat them 6-3 on aggregate in the knockout play-offs a year later.
Last season brought an improvement, with City finishing eighth in the league phase to qualify directly for the last 16. Real Madrid were waiting yet again, however, and a 3-0 defeat at the Bernabéu was followed by a 2-1 loss at the Etihad as City went out 5-1 on aggregate.
It means three Champions League campaigns have now passed without City returning to the semi-finals. UEFA’s complete City record shows just how much the standards have changed since those early group-stage adventures.
Enzo Maresca inherits a club that no longer needs to prove it belongs among Europe’s elite. The question now is whether his new-look City can start getting close to Istanbul again.
Porto is where the next attempt begins.
For updates on City throughout the season, take a look at our LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments page.
