Pep Guardiola had made the point that it was “impossible” to control Real Madrid’s front four. You can only hold out for so long against them, the Manchester City manager suggested. They tend to find a way. This Madrid victory was built on their cut and thrust up front, the slickness of their bursts, the sheer speed of them.
For a good while, it felt as though Erling Haaland would be the story; another striker who is not in the business of being shackled. The City No 9 had drawn blanks in all four of his previous Champions League ties against Madrid. He had a point to prove and he proved it, twice putting his team in front, the second for 2-1 coming from the penalty spot after Phil Foden, on as a substitute, had been fouled by Dani Ceballos.
It merely stirred Madrid to greater efforts. How were they behind? They had created so much, the City goalkeeper, Ederson, excelling in his efforts to keep them at bay. Kylian Mbappé, the central point of the Madrid front line, had scored the first equaliser, albeit with a finish that owed more to luck than judgment.
Now Madrid pushed again. They refused to accept they would not take a lead back to the Bernabéu for the second leg of this playoff tie. Leading the way was Vinícius Júnior, who was simply frightening off the left. Rodrygo was not bad on the other flank, either. Ancelotti’s team got their second equaliser towards the end when they worked the ball to Vinícius on the inside right and his shot was pushed out by Ederson but only as far as another substitute, Brahim Díaz, who shot home. Díaz, the former City player, did not celebrate. The move had begun with a loose pass out by Ederson.
The winner came in stoppage time and, if Madrid left it late, few people could say they did not deserve it. City have capitulated too many times this season and more fingers will be pointed at them. But it was more about Madrid’s talent, their remorselessness. City could not live with it.
Guardiola had made an enforced change at the interval, Rico Lewis coming on for the injured Manuel Akanji at right-back and Vinícius gave him a torrid time. Vinícius punished him decisively at the last. It was a poor pass back by Mateo Kovacic, who had also entered as a substitute, but Lewis was on his heels, slow to react.
Vinícius nicked the ball away from him and flicked on the afterburners. When he chipped over Ederson, it was Jude Bellingham, the final member of the fab quartet, playing as a No 10 when Madrid had possession, who raced in to tap into the unguarded net. Who else, as Bellingham might have put it.
The tie needed no hype but it got it all the same. “A clasico,” Carlo Ancelotti had called it and it did not disappoint. The history between the clubs pulsed, the epic showdowns, especially in the previous three seasons; one quarter-final, two semi‑finals – meetings that defined the competition, the winners going all the way to lift the trophy; City once, Madrid twice.
There was also the more recent Ballon d’Or shemozzle, Madrid having boycotted the ceremony after City’s Rodri won rather than Vinícius. The City fans had a jibe at the ready in the shape of a pre-match tifo. “Stop crying your heart out,” ran the words above an image of Rodri kissing the trophy. There were Ballon d’Or‑based taunts and boos from the home crowd for Vinícius. On reflection, perhaps it was not that wise.
Madrid were bright at the outset. Vinícius sashayed around one challenge to release Mbappé, who saw Ederson save his shot and moments later the City goalkeeper denied Vinícius at close quarters. On the rebound, Ferland Mendy’s effort was blocked in front of the line by Nathan Aké.
City were in front when Jack Grealish, given a rare start, lobbed a lovely ball into the area for Josko Gvardiol, who chested down for Haaland to finish. Was Haaland offside? The video assistant referee took an age to check before clearing him. Sadly, Grealish did not last much longer, injury forcing him off.
Vinícius rattled the crossbar after a step‑over and a slide inside, while there was a flurry from the visitors before the interval. Federico Valverde, playing at right-back as Ancelotti contended with a defensive injury crisis, banged a shot high. Mbappé twice went close; the second attempt steered wastefully over. For City, Foden worked Thibaut Courtois from distance and Akanji looped a header on to the top of the crossbar from a corner.
If Vinícius was in the mood, his acceleration blistering, then so was Haaland. Perhaps he sensed vulnerability in Madrid’s emergency central defensive pairing of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Raúl Asencio. Haaland’s movement was sharp, his physicality to the fore. He almost made it 2-0 at the start of the second half, taking a Kevin De Bruyne pass and seeing his shot deflect and hit the crossbar.
Back came Madrid. Bellingham went close with a header. Mbappé drew a fine reflex save out of Ederson. The equaliser was coming and it did so when Ceballos chipped a half‑cleared free-kick back in for the run of Mbappé, whose side-on volley was more shin than boot. It spun in apologetically.
It was all Madrid. Valverde lashed inches past the far post. Bellingham was denied one-on-one by Ederson. And yet the tie swung when Foden switched the ball from one foot to the other and Ceballos, already committed, stopped him illegally. After Haaland converted from the spot, it swung hard in the other direction.
