Cristiano Ronaldo has been a thorn in the side of many opponents down the years, with countless records broken by the iconic Portuguese forward across spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
He has always been a man for the big occasion and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is often relied upon to step up in games that matter most in order to deliver moments of match-altering brilliance.
More of the same is being demanded in the present at Old Trafford, with the 37-year-old frontman readying himself for another derby date with Manchester City. What does his record against the Blues look like? GOAL investigates…
How many games has Cristiano Ronaldo played against Manchester City?
Games played | Wins | Draws | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
15 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
Table correct at time of writing on 03/03/2022
Having first linked up with United in the summer of 2003, Ronaldo’s first experience of derby rivalries in Manchester came during a Premier League outing on December 13 of that year.
The Red Devils ran out 3-1 winners in that encounter, but suffered a humbling 4-1 defeat in the reverse fixture three months later.
Another outing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup had been taken in a few weeks prior to that setback, while Ronaldo helped United to take four points off their arch-rivals in the 2004-05 campaign.
Another defeat on the road was suffered in January 2006, before completing home and away wins over City in the following season.
Suspension kept Ronaldo out of a 1-0 loss at the Etihad Stadium in August 2007, while the Blues also emerged victorious at Old Trafford in February 2008.
A final season with United in 2008-09 delivered another six-point derby haul before heading off to Spain – although he did collect his only derby red card in a narrow 1-0 win on November 30, 2008.
GettyWhile with Real Madrid, Ronaldo enjoyed an unbeaten record against City, taking four points off them in the Champions League group stage of 2012-13 before going on to edge out Premier League heavyweights in the semi-finals of 2016 – having missed the first leg of that encounter through injury.
After returning to England in the summer of 2021, Ronaldo’s first reunion with City proved to be a forgettable one as Pep Guardiola’s side ran out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford in November
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored against Manchester City?
Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
Feb 14, 2004 | FA Cup | 4-2 |
Dec 9, 2006 | Premier League | 3-1 |
May 5, 2007 | Premier League | 1-0 |
May 10, 2009 | Premier League | 2-0 |
Sep 18, 2012 | Champions League | 3-2 |
Table correct at time of writing on 03/03/2022
Ronaldo has registered five goals across his 15 appearances against Man City. So his goalscoring record against City stands at a goal every three games.
They have all been in winning causes, but only one has come at the Etihad Stadium – with home comforts clearly being favoured by an all-time great.
His first effort against the Blues arrived in February 2004 during a 4-2 FA Cup fifth round victory, with ultimate success in that competition savoured for the first and so far only time by Ronaldo during his debut campaign in England.
GettyThe target was found in back-to-back meetings with City in 2006-07, with that return including his only strike on the road – which was also his only derby penalty - and one of the two assists he has managed in meetings with the Blues.
His final goal of a memorable first stint with United came in a derby - on May 10, 2009 – while his solitary effort against familiar foes while at Real Madrid came in a 3-2 victory for the Blancos at Santiago Bernabeu in September 2012.
He did also net for La Liga heavyweights in a 4-1 win over City in the summer of 2015, but that strike came in a non-competitive International Champions Cup clash in Melbourne, Australia.