The Fall of a Giant
How far and how fast the mighty have fallen. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, once the dominant force in English football and a major European powerhouse, are now struggling to keep up with the elite. The team that once seemed invincible has been hammered in recent away fixtures against top-tier opponents, including a 2-0 loss to Liverpool (which flattered them immensely) and a 5-1 trouncing at Arsenal. Their European campaign has also seen them soundly beaten by Juventus and Paris St Germain. But nothing could have prepared them for the humiliation they faced at the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid’s supporters taunted and tormented them, creating a cacophony of "oles!" as Carlo Ancelotti’s men ran circles around the visitors.
A Night to Forget
This match was billed as the latest installment in an epic rivalry, a bitter grudge match following Real Madrid’s boycott of Rodri’s Ballon d’Or ceremony and City’s response with a vast banner of their injured midfielder kissing his golden ball before last week’s first leg. However, the reality was far from epic. It was a mismatch, a total eclipse of the Blue Moon. The odds of City overturning their 3-2 first-leg deficit, which Guardiola had jokingly claimed was only one percent, seemed spot-on within the first four minutes. Kylian Mbappe, with a clever lofted finish over Ederson, opened the scoring and set the tone for a night that would see City’s hopes of European glory crumble.
The Humiliation Begins
Mbappe’s goal was just the beginning. He then sat down Josko Gvardiol for the second, a moment that TNT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher described by saying Gvardiol would "need a ticket to get back in the stadium." The Frenchman completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish, ensuring that Real Madrid, the defending champions, progressed to the next round. Erling Haaland, who had jolted his knee in the 4-0 victory over Newcastle, was deemed fit enough to start on the bench, but his absence was hardly felt. Omar Marmoush, who had bagged a hat-trick on Saturday, was in form, and Kevin De Bruyne, a testament to the Belgian’s waning powers, was benched. Guardiola’s back-to-basics approach, with a 4-4-2 formation, never looked like it would work against the fluid and dynamic Real Madrid.
A Night of Struggles
The match began with a diagonal ball from Raul Asencio, which Mbappe sprinted onto, leaving Ruben Dias in his wake. John Stones, who failed to make a challenge, watched helplessly as Mbappe lobbed a stranded Ederson, a goal that was as simple as it was clinical. Stones was forced to limp off, replaced by Nathan Ake, and City’s formation began to look increasingly out of place. The idea of playing the rookie Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back against Vinicius Junior was a bold call, but it backfired as Vini and Bellingham took turns teasing the young Uzbek. Ilkay Gundogan, one of several City players to have lost a yard of pace, was booked for tripping Rodrygo, and the cauldron of the Bernabeu remained eerily quiet as Real Madrid dominated.
The Final Blow
The second goal, a high-quality team effort, came when Bellingham, Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Mbappe combined with precision. Bellingham’s wicked turn and pass set up Vinicius, whose under-hit pass still managed to find Rodrygo, who then teed up Mbappe. The Frenchman, despite being crowded by City defenders, swiveled and sent Gvardiol for an early half-time Bovril before drilling past Ederson. This was the sort of goal City would often score in their pomp, but now they were on the receiving end. Real Madrid continued to play with a sense of ease, and Mbappe’s hat-trick goal arrived on the hour mark. Ancelotti’s men were stroking the ball around imperiously, and Mbappe, cutting inside Phil Foden with a burst of speed, whipped a shot low into the far corner.
The Aftermath
After 76 minutes, Phil Foden finally managed to produce City’s first shot on target, which Thibaut Courtois saved comfortably. Mbappe was then withdrawn to a thunderous reception, given a breather after a masterful performance. The humbled visitors did manage to get on the scoresheet via Nico Gonzalez in the dying embers, but it was too little, too late. In truth, City couldn’t touch Real Madrid; they weren’t even close. The winner of this annual tie has gone on to be crowned champions of Europe in each of the past three seasons, and after witnessing this evisceration, it wouldn’t be a bet against Real Madrid continuing that trend. For Manchester City, the only hope of silverware this season now lies in the FA Cup, where a fifth-round home tie against Plymouth no longer looks like a gimme. Despite a £175 million January transfer window splurge, there have been no quick fixes, and the team’s struggles continue to deepen.
