Real Madrid lose to Manchester City in the Champions League and Xabi Alonso is still on the brink

It was a game to change everything and, however, the the real Madrid he self-boycotted. He Manchester City won the Bernabéu thanks to two gifts from the white players, who had previously taken the lead. All the good work thrown away and Xabi Alonso stays on the wire. (Story and statistics: Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City)

Rodrygo He scored again 281 days later, against a rival with whom he already has a history and with whom he scored five goals in Champions League. But that was not enough: a failure of Courteous in a corner and a child penalty Rudiger They put citizen feedback on a plate with so much O’Reilly And Haaland.

The match had its share of controversies. All key referee decisions Turpin and of VAR They fell under City’s spell: Madrid had a penalty ruled out and two of them went without a whistle because of a handball. Nunes and a take of Gvardiol about Asencio. Everything counts.

Even with seven injuries and discomfort in Mbappé’s knee, who did not even warm up with the substitutes, Xabi brought out an offensive eleven: Gonzalez, Rodrygo and Ceballos, the news. Guardiola, without Rodri, maintained the pillars of its renewed City: Nico, Cherki And Document with the Haalands, Foden and company.

Madrid’s intensity, the same intensity that has been lacking in so many games this season – and last – marked the start of the match. So much so that after two minutes Clément Turpin gave a penalty on Vinicius. The VAR overturned it and signaled a foul outside the box.

Rodrygo, 32 games later

Madrid’s perseverance nevertheless continued against City with spaces on their left side. Rodrygo took the opportunity to achieve his best minutes of the season. After eleven minutes, Foden got the first yellow of the match. The whites went further.

The referee’s decisions would all backfire and before the 20th minute, a handball in the area from Matheus Nunes went unpunished. Turpin had already forgiven a frightened city a few more cards.

The scare would hit Guardiola’s bones at 1-0. It happened in the 28th minute, a work by Rodrygo. It is on a counter-attack that the Brazilian finishes by adapting to the opposite position. Donnarumma. A superb goal to break a streak of 1,415 minutes and 32 games without scoring – since March 4 – which was doing a lot of damage to the Brazilian.

From the bathroom to 1-2

The advantage confirmed what we saw, a better Madrid who stifled the “players” – like Foden or Cherki – without the ball of a Pep who misses Rodri in matches like this. And when the English were most uncomfortable, they found liberation in the form of prepared gifts.

First it was an error by Courtois on a corner. Gvardiol headed again and, after the Belgian’s save, the ball was at the mercy of O’Reilly who just had to push it. It was the 36th minute.

In the 42nd minute, the disaster was complete. The culprit: Rüdiger. The German sometimes goes to the limit in the area and went too far by grabbing Haaland in his area until causing the penalty. The VAR warned Turpin, who whistled after seeing it on the monitor, and the Norwegian made no mistake against Courtois.

Madrid went from the toilet to City at 1-2 in six minutes. Two goals conceded very easily thanks to his quality of play. With the importance of this day too.

What is curious is that during the next penalty, Asencio was brought down in the rival area by a grab from Gvardiol and Turpin did not whistle. The French referee’s key decisions all fell on Pep’s side, a factor to take into account.

Before the break, Courtois prevented Madrid’s injury from getting worse with a double save on Haaland and Cherki. The referee’s whistle sounded and a feeling of dejection pervaded the Bernabéu: Manchester City, doing the minimum, were winning 1-2 against a remarkable Real Madrid.

With no change at the restart, the intermission suited a City team which was gaining presence around Courtois’ goal. Despite this, around the 50th minute Madrid could have equalized, but Bellingham made the wrong decision by wanting to set up a one-on-one with Donnarumma with Vaseline.

Insufficient reaction

Xabi Alonso would move the bench before time runs out: Guler instead of Gonzalo. It may seem like an easy change to remove the young player, but the truth is that the Tolosa player was trying to displace a Vinicius who had been lost in the attack until that moment. However, removing the “9” which could anchor the central defenders could be a risk.

Things were not going well, Courtois made a few more saves to support the team and Xabi put Brahma by Ceballos. The one he didn’t call – and who he wouldn’t call – was a Mbappé who, obviously, was not ready to play this match.

The minutes passed, the legs became heavier and heavier, but Madrid would not lose face in the match. Pep eliminated Haaland – with discomfort -, Foden and Cherki in one fell swoop. Eleven minutes before the final bill, he entered Endrick On the Merengue side -for Asencio-, a change which pleased the Bernabéu and which set the stands on fire.

Endrick hit the crossbar in the 85th minute. It was Madrid’s clearest shot in a very rushed end to the match. Second consecutive defeat at the Bernabéu in four days. Insufficient reaction. Xabi will continue, but the room for maneuver is shrinking more and more.

Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City

Real Madrid : Courtois Fede Valverde, Raúl Asencio (Endrick, m.79), Rüdiger, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Ceballos (Brahim, died 67), Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinícius and Gonzalo (Güler, m.58).

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Nico, Bernardo Silva, Foden (Reinjders, m.70); Cherki (Savinho, m.70), Doku and Haaland (Marmoush, m.70).

Goals: 1-0, m.28: Rodrygo. 1-1, m.35: O’Reilly. 1-2, m.43: Haaland from the penalty spot.

Arbitrator: Clément Turpin (FRA). He booked Rüdiger (43), Rodrygo (87) and Carreras (88) for Real Madrid; and Foden (11), O’Reilly (76) and Bernardo Silva (90), as well as manager Guardiola (82) for Manchester City.

Incidents: match corresponding to the sixth day of the Champions League, played at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in front of 83,186 spectators.