Man City beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a tense clash, increasing pressure on coach Xabi Alonso as questions grow over his team’s form and strategy.
Without injured superstar Kylian Mbappe, Madrid took the lead through Rodrygo, but Nico O’Reilly and an Erling Haaland penalty secured Pep Guardiola’s City the three points.
Spanish media reported in the lead-up to the game that a defeat would seal Alonso’s fate as Madrid coach, although his team’s performance was creditable, despite the eventual outcome at a frustrated Bernabeu stadium.
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The record 15-time Champions League winners have now won just two of their last eight matches across all competitions and face a battle for a place in the top eight of the league phase table.
Alonso was forced to leave his team’s top scorer, Mbappe, on the bench, saying it would have been “a risk” to use him amid knee discomfort, and started 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia instead.
Madrid knocked out City in last season’s Champions League play-off round in February, but Mbappe scored four of their goals in the 6-3 aggregate win.
This was the 15th meeting between these sides, in what has become a modern Champions League classic, and it started at lightning speed, with Vinicius Junior heavily involved in the opening exchanges.
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