Real Madrid came from a goal down to defeat Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in a thrilling UEFA Champions League encounter.
The City fans taunted Vinícius Jr with a banner featuring Rodri holding the Ballon d’Or alongside the phrase “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” in bold letters. However, the Brazilian delivered the perfect response on the pitch, providing two crucial assists and earning the Man of the Match award.
The Match
Erling Haaland gave the Cityzens the lead early in the game, courtesy of a clever pass from Joško Gvardiol. However, City’s injury woes continued as Jack Grealish was forced off, making way for Phil Foden.
Real Madrid responded in stunning fashion, with Kylian Mbappé equalizing through a spectacular finish—eerily similar to his iconic goal for France against Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. Dani Ceballos played an exquisite, precise pass over Manchester City’s defense, allowing Mbappé to control the ball with his knee before volleying it past Éderson.
Manchester City had the chance to regain the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 80th minute. Ceballos clipped Foden’s leg inside the box while attempting to win the ball, but he missed it entirely, leaving the referee with an easy decision to point to the spot—without requiring VAR intervention. Haaland stepped up and calmly sent Thibaut Courtois the wrong way, restoring City’s advantage.
However, their lead lasted just six minutes as former City player Brahim Díaz came off the bench to put Los Blancos ahead. Vinícius Jr fired a shot that was parried by Éderson, but the rebound fell kindly to the Moroccan international, who slotted home effortlessly.
There was still room for late drama, and it was Real Madrid who had the last laugh. With the final kick of the game, Vinícius embarked on a dazzling run, skipping past Rico Lewis. Éderson rushed out to close him down, but the Brazilian lofted the ball over him and into the path of Jude Bellingham, who applied the finishing touch to secure a remarkable victory for Los Blancos.
The loss meant that Pep Guardiola has now suffered 12 defeats in 38 competitive matches for Manchester City in the 2024/25 season, equaling his worst-ever tally of defeats in a single season across all competitions for the club (2019/20).
It marked Manchester City’s first home defeat in the UEFA Champions League in over six years, ending an incredible 34-match unbeaten streak at the Etihad in the competition. The last time they lost at home in the UCL was on September 19, 2018, against Olympique Lyonnais.
Manager Reactions
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his disappointment with the result, he admitted that it has happened lots of times this season:
“After 2-1, it resumed a little bit of this season. Many games happened—against Feyenoord, against Sporting de Lisboa, against Brentford in the Premier League, and against Manchester United. Many games like this, at the end, we give it away… It’s not the first time, unfortunately. It’s happened many times.”
He also acknowledged the painful nature of the loss:
“I can’t be angry with my team because we know the level of opposition we’re facing. The difficult part is when you have a positive result so close and let it slip away—it becomes much harder to accept.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted that his team deserved the win:
“We deserved the win. That’s the correct way. The season starts now for us.”
He also praised the team’s defense:
“The defense was incredible. They had never played together before. In fact, they hadn’t even trained together. Never. But they were brilliant.”
Despite the victory, Ancelotti told his players to remain focused, acknowledging that the job is not over:
“This is just a small advantage. We have to prepare for the second leg very well. City were good.”
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