Real Madrid 1-2 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s side look destined for a Champions League knock-out spot after coming from behind to win in Spain
Manchester City put pressure on Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso as they secured an eye-catching come-from-behind victory at the Bernabéu in the Champions League.
City looked set for a nightmare start after an early penalty by the hosts, but VAR had to intervene. However, there was no relief midway through the first half, with Rodrygo giving the Spanish giants the lead with a deadly finish.
Defender Nico O’Reilly equalized for the Premier League side just before the break. The game then turned over just before halftime. After a VAR review, Erling Haaland scored from the penalty spot.
Here’s all the buzz at the Bernabéu.
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VAR saves City
Real Madrid thought they were given a golden opportunity to take an early lead after Matheus Nunez appeared to trip Vinicius Junior inside the penalty area. And despite the Brazilian clearly committing a foul, the City man didn’t blush as VAR intervened and determined the foul had been committed outside the area.
Guardiola’s side were not completely out of the woods as Federico Valverde took aim with a low shot, but O’Reilly’s decisive touch flicked the ball away, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded.
Rodrigo proves the point
Brazilian wideman Rodrigo has not been a favored player at Real Madrid this season. There have been rumors that he could leave the club throughout the season as his playing opportunities have been limited under manager Alonso.
But he could be back solid with some cheers after his first great goal since March. After a fluid movement, Jude Bellingham fed a pass down the right and the Real star fired a low shot past Donnarumma, who might have felt he could have done better.
Perhaps that was to be expected, as Rodrygo has scored five goals against Man City in his career.
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O’Reilly ties up the score.
With Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden on the pitch, it would not have been surprising if City’s equalizer had been scored by any of them. But it came from a very unlikely source: defender O’Reilly.
After Thibaut Courtois missed a corner kick, the ball fell to a young defender, who turned and scored from close range. This was the 20-year-old’s first goal in the Champions League. They gave Rodrygo too much space with the opener, but he may have felt he had enough to make up for it.
pay the real penalty
Just when it seemed like the first half of the VAR drama was over, the referee beckoned to the screen again. Haaland appeared to be brought down by Rudiger in front of goal, but the referee did not notice.
He had no doubts on second viewing and awarded City the spot-kick. Haaland himself was the man to step up and beat Courtois with ease. The Norwegian has already scored an impressive 21 goals for City this season.
Courtois keeps City at bay
It probably won’t be a shock to learn that Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in world football, if not the best. And even though he lost, he re-emphasized his status with an outstanding performance for Real.
The Belgian made a series of impressive stops throughout the match, with one double save in particular catching the eye. Without him, it could have been a disappointing night for Real and manager Alonso.
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