The UEFA Referees Committee has appointed Romanian referee Istvan Kovac to officiate the upcoming match between Real Madrid and Manchester City next Wednesday. This match is the second leg of the Champions League play-off.
Real Madrid secured a crucial 3-2 away win in the first leg against Manchester City, putting them in a strong position to qualify for the round of 16 of Champions League. The outcome now depends on the second leg between these two football giants.
Kovac to referee Real Madrid vs Manchester City in champions league
Istvan Kovac will take charge of the match at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Dutchman Dennis Hegeler assisting as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
UEFA confirmed that the refereeing team will include Romanian assistants Mihai Marica and Ferenc Toniuji, along with fourth official Horatiu Visnik. Polish referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski will serve as the assistant video referee.
Kovac, 39, has previously officiated three matches for Manchester City, all of which the Sky Blues won. He has also managed two matches for Real Madrid, with the Spanish side losing one and winning the other.
The Romanian referee oversaw the first leg of the 2021-22 Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s team won 4-3 in that match. However, Real Madrid turned the tie around in the second leg, winning 3-1 thanks to a brace from Brazilian Rodrygo in the 90th and 91st minutes, and a penalty from Karim Benzema in the 95th minute. This victory sent Real Madrid to the final, where they claimed their 14th title by defeating Liverpool 1-0 in Paris.
This season, Kovac refereed the match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund on October 22, in the third round of the group stage. Real Madrid staged a remarkable comeback to win 5-2 after trailing 0-2 at half-time. Goals from Rüdiger, Lucas Vázquez, and a hat-trick from Brazilian Vinícius Jr., who received a yellow card after his third goal, sealed the victory.
Real Madrid hold the record for the most Champions League titles, while Manchester City have only one title, which they won in the previous edition.
