Wed Feb 12 09:33:33 UTC 2025: **Man City’s Champions League hopes hang in the balance after late collapse against Real Madrid**
Manchester, England – Manchester City suffered a devastating 3-2 home defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, throwing their hopes of progressing to the final into serious doubt. Despite taking the lead twice, City imploded late in the game, conceding three goals in the final stages – their fifth such defeat this season.
Erling Haaland scored two goals, his 48th and 49th Champions League goals respectively, bringing his tally level with Alfredo Di Stefano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, these efforts were overshadowed by a disastrous performance from City’s goalkeeper Ederson, whose error led to Real Madrid’s second goal, and the team’s inability to maintain control in the latter stages.
Manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged his team’s inconsistency, stating that “both versions” of his team – the dominant and the vulnerable – were on display. He highlighted poor decision-making and injuries as contributing factors to their repeated late collapses. This season has already seen City suffer a record number of defeats under Guardiola, and they conceded a staggering 20 shots on target against Real Madrid, the most at the Etihad Stadium during his tenure.
The late goals came courtesy of a Kylian Mbappe volley and a stoppage-time tap-in from Jude Bellingham, leaving City with a daunting task in the second leg at the Bernabéu. The defeat leaves City facing a crucial Premier League clash against Newcastle United this weekend, a match which could further damage their Champions League qualification hopes. A Newcastle win would put them three points ahead of City in the standings. The scale of the challenge facing Guardiola is clear: he must rally his team to overcome not only Real Madrid but also the deep-rooted inconsistencies that have plagued their season.
First Piper 