MANCHESTER: Real Madrid mounted a dramatic comeback to clinch a thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, with Jude Bellingham sealing the win in stoppage time.
Kylian Mbappé and Brahim Díaz also found the net for Madrid, overturning a brace from City’s Erling Haaland.
Haaland put City ahead in the 19th minute after Joško Gvardiol set him up with a controlled chest pass, allowing the Norwegian to volley the ball into the far corner. The goal stood after a tense four-minute VAR review for a potential offside.
Madrid responded in the 60th minute when Mbappé capitalized on a rebound from a free kick, awkwardly redirecting the ball off his shin while falling. The ball looped over goalkeeper Ederson and into the net, leveling the score.
City regained the lead in the 80th minute when Haaland converted a penalty after Dani Ceballos fouled Phil Foden in the box. The Norwegian striker sent Thibaut Courtois the wrong way, restoring City’s advantage.
However, Madrid quickly struck back as Díaz reacted swiftly to a loose ball after Vinícius Jr.’s shot was parried by Ederson, slotting home the equalizer.
The decisive moment arrived in the 92nd minute when Vinícius delivered a looping cross from the left, and Bellingham surged ahead of John Stones to tap in the winner.
Reflecting on the victory, Díaz expressed his delight: “I’m very happy for the win and the team’s effort. We played a complete game against a strong opponent. The work isn’t done yet—there’s still the second leg.”
Both Real Madrid and Manchester City missed out on automatic qualification to the last 16 under the Champions League’s new league-phase format, meaning one of these top contenders will face an early exit from the competition.
