Manchester City Crash Out of Champions League, Bowing to Kylian Mbappé’s Masterclass
In a stunning upset, Manchester City and Pep Guardiola have been prematurely eliminated from the Champions League, humbled by a dazzling display from football superstar Kylian Mbappé. The English champions succumbed to a 3-1 defeat (0-2) in the playoff return leg at Real Madrid’s iconic Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, sealing their fate after a 2-3 home loss the previous week.
Mbappé played the role of tormentor-in-chief, scoring a brace (4th, 33rd minutes) to establish a commanding lead. The French prodigy’s third strike (61st minute) after the break extinguished any lingering hopes for Guardiola’s side. The Frenchman’s opener, a moment of pure brilliance, saw him capitalize on an exquisite long ball from Raúl Asensio.
Guardiola, who guided City to the Champions League trophy in 2023, was left visibly devastated, slumping into his seat early in the match. Prior to the return leg, he had admitted that his team’s chances of progressing stood at a meager one percent. Nico’s consolation goal (90th minute) did little to salvage City’s pride.
This season has proven to be the most arduous one for Manchester City under Guardiola’s stewardship. The defeat in Madrid was compounded by the absence of Erling Haaland, who missed the entire match due to knee problems. New signing Omar Marmoush (formerly of Eintracht Frankfurt) took Haaland’s place, but his impact was minimal. Just eight minutes into the match, another key player, defender John Stones, was forced off the pitch. Midfielder Rodri has been sidelined for months.
While Real Madrid emerges as a potential last-16 opponent for Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester City’s aspirations are now confined to a single realistic title challenge—the FA Cup. In the Premier League, FC Liverpool, who City host on Sunday (5:30 PM local time), has established an unassailable lead. Real Madrid, on the other hand, has cemented its status as a contender, with Mbappé’s performance bolstering its claim. Since Wednesday, Mbappé has registered over 500 goal contributions across all competitions.
In addition to defending champions Real Madrid and last year’s finalists Borussia Dortmund, who drew 0-0 against Sporting Lisbon earlier in the day, Paris Saint-Germain has also advanced to the Round of 16. PSG dominated with a resounding 7-0 (2-0) victory, confirming its 3-0 triumph in the first leg against domestic rival Stade Brest. The draw for the Round of 16 will take place on Friday (12:00 PM CET) in Nyon.
