MADRID, Spain — Kylian Mbappé sealed Real Madrid‘s 6-3 aggregate victory over Manchester City with a hat trick in the Santiago Bernabéu as the reigning European champions booked their place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
Real, seeking their sixteenth Champions League title this season, went into the play-off second-leg with a 3-2 lead over the Premier League champions after last week’s win at the Etihad. And with City forward Erling Haaland only fit enough for a place on the substitutes’ bench, Carlo Ancelotti’s team made easy work of the 2023 Champions League winners.
For City, their miserable season continues and the club now only have the FA Cup as a realistic chance of silverware as they go into Sunday’s clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool seventeen points behind Arne Slot’s side. — Mark Ogden
Mbappé delivers on the kind of night he dreamt about
Mbappé had already played in some big games for Real Madrid. There’d been two Clásicos, two Madrid derbies, and Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and Liverpool in the league phase. But this was his first big game. At Real Madrid — where standards are higher than anywhere else — that means a Champions League knockout tie, against another top club, ideally with a vibrant second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
And tonight, Mbappé emphatically delivered. This is why he joined Madrid. Having previously experienced what can happen on a European night at this stadium — Mbappé put Paris Saint-Germain ahead here in Mar. 2022 before a second-half Karim Benzema hat trick sent Madrid through — he’s now on the other, happier side of the equation.
Mbappé’s first-half performance against City was ruthlessly efficient. He needed just 14 touches to take five shots. Two of them were goals, with an xG (expected goals) of 0.73. And what goals they were. The first was lofted, unerringly, and first-time, over Ederson after Raúl Asencio‘s long ball.
Most importantly in attack, the ‘Fantastic Four’ are flying. Madrid’s second goal, with all four forwards involved, was an example of what they can do. Mbappé looks a different player to the one who started the season, and both Vinícius and Rodrygo have tended to deliver in key Champions League games. The suspension of Bellingham for Madrid’s round-of-16 first leg, after picking up a booking on Wednesday, is the only concern. But you’d rather that suspension comes now, than later in the knockout phase.
Overall, Madrid head into the last 16 back where they belong: among the favourites to win this competition. — Kirkland
Haaland’s fitness is a worry for City
Haaland wasn’t fit enough to start against Real Madrid, but the Manchester City striker didn’t even take part in the pre-match warm-up, so how bad is the Norwegian’s knee injury?
That will be the question worrying City’s supporters, and also intriguing Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Etihad because the initial verdict from City boss Guardiola was that the knee injury sustained against Newcastle United at the weekend wasn’t a concern.
Haaland was substituted late in the game against Newcastle after going down unchallenged before clutching his right knee. He looked visibly worried but was able to walk off the pitch following treatment, so Guardiola attempted to allay fears over the forward’s fitness after the 4-0 win.
But having taken no part against Real, in a game City had to win after losing 3-2 in the first leg, means that there is an issue that Guardiola is worried about. Haaland was named as a substitute, perhaps as a last throw of the dice if the game was close in the final stages, but his failure to even warm up before or during the game has raised more questions than answers. — Ogden
