Manchester City’s Champions League aspirations have been dashed for another year after a disastrous night at the Bernabeu. Manager Josep Guardiola opted for an attacking line-up to take on Real Madrid, but they were undone by Fede Valverde’s hat-trick in a remarkable first half.
Gianluigi Donnarumma’s penalty in the second half could have sealed City’s fate, but the goalkeeper managed to recover and save Vinicius’ penalty. This gave City a glimmer of hope for the second leg, but they were unable to capitalize on this as they failed to score a goal in Madrid.
A brilliantly reflexive save from Thibaut Courtois denied Nico O’Reilly’s goal and City were unable to make any further contribution. Here are the player ratings from the night of punishment in Madrid:
Donnarumma: Could have performed better with at least one goal and conceded a penalty, but made a crucial save to keep City in the game. 5.
Kusanov: Despite getting off to a strong start against Vinicius, he lost his footing and was unable to regain control of the match. 5.
Diaz: We tried to push our opponents forward in the second half, but struggled to maintain order at the back. 5.
Guehi: Perhaps his most challenging night in a City jersey, he struggled to maintain his performance and was outscored by Valverde in goal. 5.
O’Reilly: Remained vulnerable for the first goal and had difficulty defending throughout the game. He showed improvement in the middle stages, but is far from his peak. 4.
Rodri: His return to Madrid won’t be looked back on fondly as he failed to prevent Real from breaking through City’s midfield. 5.
Silva: We failed at set pieces and corner kicks and didn’t get involved in the game. 5.
Semenyo: Although his touch was inconsistent, he was active on the ball and tried to create chances in the final third. 5.
Sabinho: He didn’t make too many mistakes and got a few free kicks in threatening positions, but he was substituted at half-time due to a tactical change. 5.
Doc: I was going to give Alexander-Arnold a tough fight, but he was effectively marked and sent off from the match and made some bad choices in the final third. 5.
Haaland: Didn’t make a big contribution, but his early replacement speaks volumes. 4.
Lijnders: (In the case of Savinho, 46 years old) he was unable to influence the game. 5.
Cherki: (Semenyo, 70 years old) Tried to incite action. 6.
Ait Nouri: (against Silva, 70) Mixed performance. I received a yellow card. 5.
Marmouche: (For Haaland, who is 82 years old) We don’t have enough time.
Unused substitutes: Trafford, Bettinelli, Nunez, Alleyne, Ake, Stones, Gonzalez, Foden.
