Man City ‘s Champions League hopes hang in the balance after a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their play-off tie. Despite leading twice, City were undone by a late surge from the reigning champions, with Jude Bellingham’s injury-time winner leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
City started the match brightly, with Erling Haaland giving them the lead in the 19th minute after a well-worked move involving Jack Grealish and Josko Gvardiol. However, Grealish’s early departure through injury proved to be a turning point, with Real Madrid growing into the game and equalizing through Kylian Mbappé.
Haaland restored City’s lead with a penalty in the 80th minute, but Real Madrid responded with two late goals to snatch victory. Brahim Diaz leveled the score before Bellingham’s close-range finish in the dying seconds left City stunned.
This defeat highlights Man City ‘s struggles this season, with their vulnerability in defense and lack of midfield control once again exposed. Key players like Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne looked jaded, while the defense struggled to contain Real Madrid’s attacking threat.
Real Madrid, despite not being at their best, showed their experience and resilience to secure a crucial victory. They created numerous chances throughout the match and eventually capitalized on City’s fatigue to snatch the win.
City now face a daunting task in the second leg at the Bernabéu.6 They will need to produce a near-perfect performance to overturn the deficit and progress to the last 16. Real Madrid, meanwhile, will be confident of finishing the job and reaching the next round.
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