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Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Bellingham snatches victory from the jaws of defeat

In dramatic fashion, Real Madrid came back from behind not once but twice to defeat Manchester City 3-2 and win their first ever game in 90 minutes at the Etihad Stadium. The hosts ...

In dramatic fashion, Real Madrid came back from behind not once but twice to defeat Manchester City 3-2 and win their first ever game in 90 minutes at the Etihad Stadium.

The hosts first took the lead through Erling Haaland, before Kylian Mbappé acrobatically equalised in the second half.

Haaland would double up with a penalty in the final 15 minutes to give City the advantage, but then, a familiar story: two late Real Madrid goals, first from Brahim on his return to his former side and then Jude Bellingham to snatch the victory in the game’s final breaths.

As it happened

In this season of football, nothing at Manchester City is guaranteed beyond the ridiculous. Unfortunately for them, Real Madrid’s only guarantee is ruthless efficiency. The most star-studded forward line on Earth travelled to Manchester to face a side with four centre-halves in the starting lineup, this surely about to be a case of attack versus defence.

It was a first half which felt more like two quarters. The reigning champions of England and Spain shared periods of control almost evenly.

At first, it was all Real Madrid. Between the 10th and 12th minutes, they might’ve scored not once, not twice, but three times. First, Vinícius Jr. was played in behind before sprinting into the City box. As Ederson rushed to meet him, he tapped the ball round him before bracing for contact. Referee Clément Turpin quickly pointed to the spot before the linesman’s flag spared City’s keeper’s blushes.

Pretty quickly, though, Ederson would turn into the hero. Less than a minute after the penalty which never was, he denied Mbappé from close quarters after Vinícius Jr. played him through on goal. He was redeemed until he suddenly wasn’t when, on 12 minutes, he was totally deceived by a give-and-go between Ferland Mendy and – you guessed it – Vinícius Jr. in the area, and had to rely on Nathan Aké to clear the former’s shot off the line.

Los Blancos, though, had had their spell of quality. Now it was the hosts’ turn, and they responded with the opening goal.

It all started on the halfway line, as Haaland was played down the left of the pitch. Initially, he combined with Jack Grealish, before the Englishman dinked the ball over the top of the Real Madrid defence to find Joško Gvardiol, whose run into the area had evaded a sea of orange defenders. From then on, it was simple: he laid the ball off to Haaland and the striker did the rest, tapping home past Thibaut Courtois with a level head.

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After that strike in the 19th minute, it was all about who could come closest without actually scoring. Vinícius was the first man crash an effort onto the woodwork, twisting and turning his way to creating enough room in the box before looping a shot onto the crossbar.

After him, recently introduced substitute Phil Foden – brought on to replace the injured Grealish – would test Courtois with a curled strike destined for the top corner, but ultimately met by outstretched Belgian palms. From the resulting corner, it was City’s turn to hit the crossbar, as Manuel Akanji flicked Kevin De Bruyne’s delivery onto the top of the upright.

It was a frantic, messy, passionate first half. Carlo Ancelotti compared this clash – this the fifth iteration in the last five years – to Real Madrid’s rivalry with Barcelona. As Savinho reduced Vinícius Jr. on the byline before roaring at the crowd as if he’d scored himself, it gave some credence to the argument.

Nevertheless, City were in front and 45 minutes away from taking a lead to the Santiago Bernabéu. Not content with having hit the crossbar only once in the first half, they’d do it again almost immediately in the second, as Haaland looped his effort at a brace onto the frame of the goal less than a minute in.

But from then on, almost all the big chances fell to the visitors, whether it be Bellingham heading wide or Mbappé being denied by a tremendous Ederson save. Both of those chances came within two minutes of one another, and on the hour mark, they would finally convert an opportunity.

At first glance, Mbappé’s equaliser looked like a thing of beauty. Dani Ceballos had lofted a ball towards the back post where the Frenchman had drifted unmarked. He leapt into the air, contorted and adjusted to volley into the back of the net past a static Ederson. It was magical, just as long as the fact it ricocheted off his shin and into the net doesn’t affect your criteria for magical goals.

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Alas, they all count. Real Madrid were level, and they probably should have taken the lead shortly after, either when Federico Valverde fired just wide of Ederson’s right post, or when Bellingham attacked a loose ball in the area only to be denied by a firm right hand.

Real Madrid were knocking on the door. It surely wouldn’t be long until they found their answer. But then, a goal, one against the run of play and not scored by Real Madrid.

Foden had jinked into the box on 77 minutes. Ceballos came across to meet him and elected to use force. Just too much of it. He clumsily crashed into the winger, got none of the ball, and had no arguments when the penalty was awarded.

Haaland stepped up and buried it to little surprise. He’s now scored 49 Champions League goals in 48 appearances – and finally, a pair against Real Madrid.

City were just over 10 minutes away from a crucial win. The visitors looked uncomfortable, the elder statesman Luka Modrić and City academy graduate Brahim introduced as a final roll of the dice. And it paid off.

On 86 minutes, a catalogue of Ederson errors. First, he launched the ball into the feet of Bellingham. Then, when Vinícius Jr. shot from inside the box, he stood and deflected the ball back into the danger zone. Then, when Brahim latched onto the rebound and christened his homecoming with a goal, he could do little more than stand and watch.

And in this nightmarish Manchester City season, that was never going to be the end of that. As Vinícius Jr. was played in behind and raced through on Ederson’s goal in the 92nd minute, there was almost a guarantee that it would turn into a goal. Then there was the dink over Ederson. Then Bellingham, who continued his run to meet the ball and tap into the empty net.

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Real Madrid, as so often is the case, had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

As for the side which hosted them: as they say, “typical City.” This nightmarish season continues for Pep Guardiola and co., their fate in the Champions League hinging on a win at one of football’s toughest grounds against one of football’s best sides.

That’s Real Madrid for you: even when they’re down and out, they’re still the favourites.

The lineups

MCI: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Aké, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Stones, De Bruyne; Savinho, Haaland, Grealish

RMA: Courtois; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Asencio, Mendy; Ceballos, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappé, Vinícius Jr.

Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Bellingham snatches victory from the jaws of defeat – FromTheSpot