The Santiago Bernabéu put on its best clothes to celebrate one of those great European nights that have been experienced so many times at the Chamartín. A night in which, moreover, Real Madrid would be visited by one of their most recurrent antagonists in recent years in the Champions League: Manchester City, with whom they would face each other for the fourth consecutive year.
With the peculiarity, however, that the Whites faced the second leg with an advantage for the first time since these matches have taken place. An advantage of just one goal that the Whites brought back from the Etihad. In addition, Ancelotti added Rüdiger to the cause, while Guardiola lost Haaland, who would not make it to the big game due to knee problems. And with little else to add, what was shaping up to be one of the matches of the year kicked off.
Mbappé destroys City in the first half
The match began with both teams well aware of what was at stake. During the early stages, City monopolized possession in search of a chink in the Whites’ defensive armor. It didn’t take long for Guardiola’s men to abandon that plan, as it took the Whites less than three minutes to find that very chink.
And he did so through a long ball from Asencio, which is starting to become a trademark move, which found the unmarked Kylian Mbappé breaking through the centre-backs in the blink of an eye, and found the perfect opportunity to outfox Ederson with a chip, who could do little more than watch as the ball slipped into his goal.
Pep Guardiola was creating a circus and the situation was getting out of hand, because in the same move as the goal, John Stones went down injured, forcing the Catalan coach to make his first substitution less than ten minutes into the game. In a short period of time, the Catalan’s initial plan had been completely disrupted, with the Whites now two goals ahead in the tie.
Furthermore, Madrid were now lord and master of the match, with a superlative Ceballos managing the game as he pleased against a City side still reeling from the first goal. Now, however, the pace was much slower than in the frantic opening stages, with Real Madrid seeming to have the match exactly where they wanted it.
However, most of the game was being played near the English area. Valverde tried again with a strong shot from the edge of the box that was poisoned after touching a defender and almost found its way into Ederson’s goal. Madrid seemed to have found the key with very high pressure after a loss that did not concede an inch to City.
Mbappé continued to cause real terror behind the defense, now with a new skill of getting away from his marker and looking for the goal from the right side, forcing Ederson to use his fists to keep the ball out. But the Frenchman was determined to have his first great European night in the white shirt, and it wouldn’t be long before he put some distance between himself and his rivals.
And he did so after a move in which the Real Madrid trident demonstrated its power. It began with a run by Vinícius down the left, who looked for a ball to the edge of the box that, at first, seemed to go a little long. However, Rodrygo, with a subtle touch, managed to thread the ball into the box in search of Mbappé who, with a precise cut, left Gvardiol on the ground, and crossed it in with his right leg to score the second goal and add to his goal tally. And with little else to add, the referee indicated the way to the dressing rooms in a first half that Madrid dominated from start to finish.
Mbappé rounds off his historic first night with a bath by Real Madrid
The second half began with City aware of the difficult task ahead, and Madrid looking to kill the game off. The first to try and change the score again was Rodrygo, after a great team move that ended with the Brazilian firing over Ederson’s goal.
Once again, the game was a one-sided affair, and City showed no sign of a comeback. In fact, before the hour mark, Mbappé came very close to scoring a hat-trick after a cross from Fede Valverde that Ederson managed to clear for a corner. However, the visiting goalkeeper’s clearance hurt Mbappé, setting off alarm bells, although he was able to return to the field without any major problems.
The Frenchman was so recovered that, in the next play in which he touched the ball, after a great collective play by the Whites, he received a body blow to his right side. He faced his marker and, with a bicycle kick, easily got away from him. Already on the edge of the box, he let loose a lash of the left foot that Ederson could do nothing about, putting some distance between them in what was already a party at the Bernabéu, in Mbappé’s first hat-trick in a white shirt. And what better stage to do it on.
A match that was already taking a long time for a City side that hadn’t even shown up. And there was still half an hour to go. And the Santiago Bernabéu was enjoying itself to the rhythm of the olés while Madrid were moving the ball around without City getting a sniff. But even with the match and the tie resolved, Madrid, who seemed willing to bleed as much as possible, didn’t stop accelerating.
And Vinícius tried to join the party of Mbappé with a right-footed shot from the edge of the box, which was met by a great save from Ederson, who was trying to keep a sinking ship afloat. City, in search of honor, made their first approach to the area through Bernardo Silva, with a shot that went over Courtois’ crossbar.
Now, as the final stretch of the match approached, Ancelotti opted to make changes and give some of the players who had just been involved in the historic feat a rest. Among them, Mbappé, who had his first taste of the big time on a great European night, with a hat-trick that destroyed the man who had been the great nightmare of the Whites for five years.
However, the co-stars of the Frenchman’s stellar performance also wanted to add their bit to the exhibition. And Rodrygo tried from the left with a shot with his good leg that went straight into the hands of Ederson. And so as not to leave the Bernabéu empty-handed, Marmoush struck the crossbar in injury time, and the rebound fell at the feet of Nico González, who only had to push it in to score the goal of honor.
There was little more to say in a match in which Real Madrid stamped their authority on the table, showing they are the King of Europe. And they did it against their nemesis in the top competition on the old continent, dismantling a City side in 90 brilliant minutes in which Kylian Mbappé showed why Madrid have waited for him for 7 years. Now, all that remains is to find out who awaits in the round of sixteen… But what is certain is that no one will want to face this Madrid.