Manchester City Rally to Beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Bernabéu

Manchester City recovered from an early goal to deliver a magnificent Champions League victory over perennial winners Real Madrid, leaving La Liga side’s manager Xabi Alonso under intense pressure.

Alonso faces growing scrutiny following a poor run in the league and reported clashes with his players. The defeat at home to City adds to the heat surrounding his position.

Real Madrid suffered a setback as leading goalscorer Kylian Mbappé was deemed only fit enough to remain on the bench and did not feature in the match. His absence was felt as the team struggled to hold on to their early advantage.

City almost faced a nightmare start when Matheus Nunes tripped Vinicius Jr inside the first two minutes. The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot but then, after consulting VAR, awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box. Federico Valverde’s attempt narrowly went wide, while Vinicius’s dinked effort missed at the far post shortly after.

Despite weathering the early storm and controlling possession, Real were caught on the break as Rodrygo collected Jude Bellingham’s cross-field pass and scored his first goal since March.

Manchester City’s response was swift. The visitors scored with their first clear opportunity as academy left-back Nico O’Reilly poked home after Josko Gvardiol’s header was scooped back into the danger zone by Thibaut Courtois.

City turned the game around on the stroke of halftime through Erling Haaland’s penalty after he was bundled over in the box by Antonio Rüdiger.

In the second half, Real tried to equalize. Bellingham chipped over the bar, and substitute Endrick flicked a header that clipped the crossbar. However, City held firm to secure a tremendous victory at the Bernabéu.

🔗 Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
🌍 Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
✅ Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q