Haaland and City silence Bernabeu to deepen Madrid woes
Manchester City overturned an early deficit to beat Real Madrid 2 1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, claiming a rare Champions League victory in Spain and piling pressure on Xabi Alonso as City surged ahead in the league phase standings.
Manchester City delivered another statement European night at the Santiago Bernabeu, coming from behind to defeat Real Madrid 2 1 in Round Six of the Champions League and take control of their fate in the league phase.
The hosts struck first against the run of play in the 28th minute when Rodrygo finally ended his long goal drought. A swift counter attack saw Jude Bellingham carry the ball from deep before releasing Rodrygo on the right, and the Brazilian kept his composure to drill a low finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Bernabeu erupted, briefly forgetting recent domestic frustrations.
City responded with authority rather than panic. Dominating possession and pinning Madrid back, Pep Guardiola side found their equaliser after a set piece. Nico OReilly reacted quickest after Thibaut Courtois spilled a header, smashing home his first Champions League goal and flattening the noise inside the stadium.
The momentum was fully with the visitors as half time approached. Erling Haaland bullied his way into space inside the box and drew a clumsy challenge from Antonio Rudiger. After a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot and the Norwegian duly obliged, sending Courtois the wrong way to complete the turnaround just before the break.
Madrid pushed harder in the second half, driven by frustration rather than fluency. Vinicius Junior squandered several promising openings while substitute Endrick came agonisingly close, glancing a header off the crossbar to raise hope among the home faithful. Courtois also redeemed his earlier error with a series of fine saves to keep Madrid within touching distance.
City, however, never lost their shape or discipline. Guardiola shut the game down in the closing stages with defensive substitutions, allowing his side to absorb pressure and see out a famous win.
The final whistle was met with whistles and jeers from the stands, reflecting growing unrest around the home dugout. Questions now swirl around Xabi Alonso future as Madrid slip behind City in the table, 13 points to 12, even though both remain inside the crucial top eight with two matchdays left.
For Manchester City, this was not just a win but a reminder that the Bernabeu is no longer an untouchable fortress. For Real Madrid, it was another long European night that hinted at deeper problems still to be solved.
