Last night, Manchester City suffered a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off at the Santiago Bernabeu, resulting in a 6-3 aggregate loss that eliminated them from the competition.
This high-stakes clash between the last two Champions League winners showcased Real Madrid’s ruthlessness, driven by a Kylian Mbappé hat-trick, and exposed Manchester City’s ongoing struggles in a season marked by inconsistency.
The match kicked off with an early blow for City as John Stones was forced off with a muscle injury just eight minutes in, disrupting their defensive structure.
Real Madrid pounced almost immediately, with Mbappé scoring in the 4th minute after latching onto a precise long ball from Raul Asencio, outpacing Ruben Dias, and delicately lobbing Ederson.
The holders’ dominance grew, and in the 33rd minute, Mbappé struck again, showcasing his flair by cutting inside Josko Gvardiol and slotting past Ederson. City, without the injured Erling Haaland—who was only fit for the bench—looked disjointed, managing just one shot in the first half as Real’s defense, bolstered by Antonio Rudiger’s return, suffocated their attack.
The second half offered little respite for Pep Guardiola’s side. Mbappé completed his hat-trick in the 61st minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to curl a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, effectively sealing City’s fate at 3-0 on the night and 6-2 on aggregate.
A late consolation came in stoppage time when debutant Nico Gonzalez scored from close range, but it was a mere footnote in a night of dominance by Real Madrid.
The 6-3 aggregate scoreline marked Manchester City’s earliest Champions League exit since the 2012-13 group stage and ended Guardiola’s flawless record of reaching the last 16 in his 18-year managerial career across Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and City.
This defeat capped a torrid run for City, who have now lost three straight Champions League away games, a skid not seen under Guardiola until this season.
After a narrow 3-2 loss in the first leg at the Etihad—where late goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham overturned Haaland’s brace—the second leg exposed deeper issues.
City’s vaunted 35-match unbeaten home streak in Europe had already been snapped, and their vulnerability in transition, coupled with a depleted squad, left them unable to match Real’s intensity over two legs.