Manchester City kicked off the match with a bold statement aimed at the 15-time European champions. A massive flag displayed Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or, with a message directed at Real Madrid: ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out,’ referencing their boycott of the ceremony after Vinicius Jr missed out on the award. It was a risky move given City’s patchy form.
By full-time, the scoreboard reflected a 3-2 victory for Madrid, who had the last laugh. City squandered two leads, with ex-City player Brahim Diaz netting Madrid’s second equalizer in the 86th minute.
Then, in stoppage time, Jude Bellingham latched onto Vinicius Jr’s lob over Ederson, slotting the winner into an open net. This time, it was City left to rue their misfortune in a challenging season.
Erling Haaland’s two goals—his first against Madrid—seemed to have secured City a narrow advantage heading into the Bernabeu clash next Wednesday. However, Madrid’s superior class ultimately shone through.
While City’s injury woes have been a talking point, Madrid faced their own crisis, with Carlo Ancelotti describing the situation as ‘an emergency’—yet they still found a way to triumph.
Jude Bellingham stepped up in the 92nd minute to score the winner for Real Madrid
Brahim Diaz had equalised just six minutes earlier but refused to celebrate against his old club
Erling Haaland scored twice but it was not enough to stop City being beaten at the Etihad
Real came into the first leg missing key defenders Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal while Lucas Vázquez, who had been deputising at right-back, was also ruled out with a hamstring injury.
So Federico Valverde started at right back and defensive midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni was chosen again in central defence alongside Raúl Asencio, the young academy graduate who has only made 21 appearances for the first team.
City seemed in rude health by comparison although there was, of course, no Rodri. Nor was there any chance for Kyle Walker, who has moved on loan to AC Milan, to renew his compelling rivalry with Vinicius Jr. Walker’s pace got City out of trouble against the quicksilver Madrid forward time after time in the past.
The opening exchanges were even but after 10 minutes, Madrid suddenly burst into brilliant, vibrant life. Vinicius Jr nutmegged Ruben Dias on the half way line and then curled a magnificent pass into the path of Mbappe. Mbappe ran on to it but his stinging shot was kept out by a fine, diving save from Ederson.
Madrid were alive with stepovers and bad intentions now and Rodrygo dinked a beautiful pass behind the City defence and into the area for Ferland Mendy to run on to. Real tried to walk it in but Nathan Ake threw himself in the way of Mendy’s shot and the chance was lost.
Vini Jr was caught in a City sandwich between Ake and Manuel Akanji but the referee waved away his appeals for a penalty. And just when it seemed it was only a matter of time until Madrid scored, City scored instead.
It was a fine goal, too. Haaland held the ball up midway inside the Real half and laid it back to Jack Grealish. Grealish floated a delicate pass over the Real defence, Josko Gvardiol chested it down and Haaland lifted it past Thibaut Courtois.
Real tried to shrug the setback aside. Vini Jr hit the bar with a curling shot and City were dealt a blow when Grealish was forced off with an injury after half an hour. He was replaced by Phil Foden.
Kylian Mbappe scored Madrid’s first equaliser as the ball spun off his shin and past Ederson
Phil Foden was brought down by Dani Ceballos and Erling Haaland smashed home the subsequent penalty to put City back in front but they could not hold on
MATCH FACTS
Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Akanji (Lewis 46), Dias, Ake (Kovacic 61), Gvardiol; Stones, De Bruyne (Gundogan 84), Silva; Savinho (Marmoush 84), Grealish (Foden 30), Haaland
Goals: Haaland 2
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Tchouameni, Mendy; Camavinga, Ceballos (Modric 81), Bellingham; Rodrygo (Diaz 84), Vinicius Jr, Mbappe (Garcia 90)
Goals: Mbappe, Diaz, Bellingham
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
Foden made an immediate impact. He cut inside his man on the edge of the Madrid area and unleashed a rising left-foot shot that Courtois tipped over. From Kevin de Bruyne’s corner, Akanji glanced a header on to the top of the bar.
All the confidence had drained out of Madrid and City, marshalled by Stones, were controlling play. Only at the end of the half did the visitors recover their poise. Mbappe curled a shot high over the bar when he ought to have scored.
City started the second half strongly. Haaland’s shot spun off the leg of Eduardo Camavinga and spiralled over Courtois on to the face of the bar but then Madrid stepped up their search for an equaliser.
Vini Jr accelerated past Rico Lewis, who had come on for Akanji at half time, and cut back a driven cross to Jude Bellingham, who headed wide. A couple of minutes later, Ederson saved well from a near-post Mbappe snap-shot.
City fans unveiled a banner before kick-off that mocked Vinicius Jr after he missed out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri
But it was Vinicius Jr and his Madrid team-mates who had the final laugh on Tuesday night
Madrid needed a slice of luck to draw level. When City only half-cleared a free kick, Dani Ceballos floated it back into the box and Mbappe escaped his markers. He attempted an acrobatic volley but the ball hit his shin and looped in a lazy arc past Ederson and into the net.
Madrid had their confidence back now. Valverde whistled a shot inches wide and Bellingham blew a one-on-one with Ederson when he could not match his brilliant run with a fitting finish and hit his shot too close to the goalkeeper, who saved with his legs.
But then, 11 minutes from the end, City punctured Madrid’s confidence with a goal, just as they had in the first half. Ceballos brought Foden’s jinking run to an abrupt end with an industrial challenge and Haaland sent Courtois the wrong way and slid the ball into the bottom corner.
City celebrated what they thought was an unlikely win but Diaz and Bellingham had other ideas.