UEFA has appointed Romanian referee István Kovács to officiate the highly anticipated second leg of the Champions League playoff between Real Madrid and Manchester City on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This will mark Kovács’ fourth time refereeing a Real Madrid Champions League match. Previously, he officiated their 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024/25 group stage, as well as their 5-2 victory against Liverpool in the 2022/23 Round of 16. Kovács also handled Real Madrid’s thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester City in the first leg of their 2021/22 semifinals tie.
The first leg, played at the Etihad Stadium last Tuesday, saw Real Madrid edge Manchester City 3-2, with Jude Bellingham scoring a dramatic stoppage-time goal. Clément Turpin was the referee for that match.
The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the Champions League Round of 16.
