Real Madrid and Manchester City faced off for the fifth consecutive season in the Champions League Wednesday night in a battle between European heavy weights. City broke their losing streak, beating Xabi Alonso’s side 1-2. After losing to them in the last two European campaigns. City lost to Real in both legs of last year’s knockout play-offs and were knocked out in the quarter finals by them in the season prior (23/24).
Alonso has history with City coach Pep Guardiola. The pair of Spanish midfielders spent two years together at Bayern Münich ten years ago (2014-2016) whilst Xabi played in the defensive midfield role for Guardiola when he coached the German giants.
Rodrygo opened the score in the 28th minute catching young City left-back Nico O’Reilly off-guard and smashing it past City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnaruma. The Brazilian hadn’t scored in his last 32 games for Madrid which is the longest dry spell for a Madrid attacker in their history. Madrid is currently the most successful team in the Champions League. Not only have they won the competition fifteen times, but they also have the longest streak of qualifying for the knockout phase of the competition having done so the past twenty-nine times.
City replied with two goals of their own. With O’Reilly making up for his prior mistake in the 35th minute, pouncing on the rebound of a saved header from a Ryan Cherki corner. At the end of the first half VAR awarded a penalty to City after veteran Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger fouled Erling Haaland off the ball. Haaland converted the penalty in style sending the Madrid stopper the wrong way. The Norwegian is shared second in the Champions League scoring charts having scored six goals in six games behind Kylian Mbappe with 9 goals in 5 appearances.
This afternoon Real Madrid announced that Kylian Mbappé would be part of their matchday squad after doubts on his fitness having been absent from yesterday’s training. But he did not appear for Alonso’s side this game. Mbappé is Madrid’s top scorer this season in both La Liga and the Champions League. One surprise appearance was the Endrick, who was subbed on in the 79th minute. This was his second appearance for Madrid this season, after having come off the bench in a 4-0 battering of Valencia at the Bernabéu on the first of November.
Madrid find themselves struck by injuries missing key players such as new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold, French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, Brazilian Centre-back Éder Militão and captain Dani Carvajal. Their defense truly looks bare to the bone missing six defenders in total.
After tonight’s matchup both teams will be trying to solidify their position in the top eight which would grant them automatic qualification for the knockout phase. With Madrid in 7th facing Monaco at home in and City in 4th. They will be traveling to their star striker’s homeland of Norway to face Bodø/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadium.
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