{"id":185819,"date":"2025-02-12T12:16:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T09:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/?p=185819"},"modified":"2025-02-12T12:16:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T09:16:37","slug":"real-madrid-storm-back-at-man-city-in-champions-league-to-control-tie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/real-madrid-storm-back-at-man-city-in-champions-league-to-control-tie\/","title":{"rendered":"Real Madrid storm back at Man City in Champions League to control tie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jude Bellingham scored the winner in stoppage time as Real Madrid twice came from behind to inflict more misery on Manchester City, with a 3-2 Champions League playoff, first-leg win at the Etihad.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Erling Haaland twice put City in front with his first goals in five games against Madrid on Tuesday.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But the holders hit back through Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz before Bellingham stroked home in the 92nd minute on his return to England.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

City now have a monumental task ahead to progress to the last 16, when the sides meet again in the Spanish capital on February 19.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The clubs were meeting for the fourth consecutive season in the Champions League, with the winners in each of the previous three years going on to lift the trophy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If that familiarity did not breed enough contempt, Madrid\u2019s decision to boycott City midfielder Rodri\u2019s crowning as the Ballon d\u2019Or winner last year added extra animosity.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The midfielder was rewarded for his role in Spain\u2019s Euro 2024 triumph and a fourth consecutive Premier League title.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, the Spanish giants took umbrage at Vinicius Junior being overlooked for the prize and pulled out all of their representatives from the ceremony in October.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A huge banner before kickoff showed Rodri with the Ballon d\u2019Or trophy alongside the lyric \u201cStop crying your heart out\u201d from the City-supporting band Oasis.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rodri\u2019s absence since September with a season-ending knee injury has played a major role in City\u2019s decline this season as the English champions sit 15 points off the pace in the Premier League.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In recent years, Madrid have been pegged back on the ropes at the Etihad, twice conceding four times in three visits.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This time, the visitors had a series of early chances to sow more doubt in City\u2019s minds.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vinicius\u2019s every touch was booed, and the home fans were delighted when he had a penalty ruled out for straying offside before he was wiped out by Ederson.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The City goalkeeper then made a vital save from Mbappe, and Nathan Ake deflected Ferland Mendy\u2019s shot wide with the goal gaping.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola\u2019s men hit the visitors with a sucker punch on 19 minutes, thanks to a brilliant team goal.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jack Grealish\u2019s dinked cross was chested down by Josko Gvardiol into Haaland\u2019s path, who stayed millimetres onside before stroking home his 26th goal of the season.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Real came roaring back as Vinicius\u2019s effort came back off the bar.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

City also hit the woodwork through Manuel Akanji, and Thibaut Courtois was forced into a spectacular save from Phil Foden.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Haaland remained a constant threat to Madrid\u2019s injury-ravaged defence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ancelotti was forced to name midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni in his backline alongside the inexperienced Raul Asencio.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Haaland\u2019s deflected effort that came back off the crossbar seconds into the second half proved a turning point as Madrid again took control.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bellingham headed wide and Ederson denied Mbappe as the pressure built before it finally told on the hour mark.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mbappe\u2019s finish was far from his cleanest but his mishit from Dani Ceballos\u2019s cross deceived Ederson and looped into the net.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Madrid smelled blood and went for the kill. Valverde drilled inches wide before Bellingham should have scored when he shot low into the legs of Ederson.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But it was City who got the third goal when Foden was brought down by Ceballos as he weaved a way into the penalty area and French referee Clement Turpin pointed to the spot.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Haaland sent Courtois the wrong way for his 49th goal in 48 Champions League appearances.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yet, by full-time, the Norwegian was a disconsolate figure as City\u2019s poor campaign took another turn for the worse.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Diaz had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds when he fired in against his old club after Ederson parried Vinicius\u2019s effort into his path.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Moments later, the Brazilian goalkeeper was caught in no-man\u2019s land as Vinicius ran through, and even as his attempt was heading wide, Bellingham stole in for a simple finish.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jude Bellingham scored the winner in stoppage time as Real Madrid twice came from behind to inflict more misery on Manchester City, with a 3-2 Champions League playoff, first-leg win at the Etihad.   Erling Haaland twice put City in front with his first goals in five games against Madrid on Tuesday.   But the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":185820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10221280388112155_325455220908133":"","twitter_917774835383787521_917774835383787521":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185819"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185819"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185829,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185819\/revisions\/185829"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wardoon.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}