What a result. What a performance. What a team. City leave the Santiago Bernabeu with all 3 points and a signature statement victory. City walked into one of the harshest environments in the world against a team that had a 12th man in the middle of the park wearing yellow and left victorious, taking a massive step towards qualifying in the Top 8 of the Champions League League Phase. It was a performance with a certain poise and maturity that we haven't seen in ages, and it seems like it made a statement to not only Europe, but to squad themselves of what they’re truly capable of. It was a performance that last season and in earlier parts of the season we would've guaranteed folded in, but this time we absorbed the pressure with ease and fended off a European powerhouse in their own house like it was nothing.
The match started off terribly for City, and after a few sloppy giveaways from Gvardiol and Bernardo City gave away a penalty in the opening 90 seconds, or so we thought. After a VAR check it was moved to a freekick right on the edge of the box, and at that distance it was always gonna be hard to get on target clean so we escaped just giving away a corner. The rest of the next 30 minutes was pretty even, but Madrid had the clear cut chances. It was a classic Real Madrid game full of theatrics, taunting, flopping around, and hard tackles, and of course after 30 minutes the forward on a 30+ game goalless streak scored against us. Rodrygo slotted the ball past Donnarumma and put the hosts 1-0 up. After that City were on the front foot for the rest of the half, and after we won a corner a beautiful Rayan Cherki delivery eventually found the feet of Nico O’Reilly who made it level. A few minutes later O’Reilly sent another cross into the box that looked to be destined to find Erling Haaland, but of course Antonio Rudiger NFL tackled him in the box and the ref obviously didn't blow his whistle. After the ball went out of play VAR intervened and City surprisingly got a penalty. Of course the best striker in the world slotted it in to maintain his personal record of having more goals than games in the champions league. Right before the stroke of half O’Reilly sent in another cross where Courtois saved Madrid with an amazing double save against Haaland and Cherki to keep the score within reason. After a second half full of theatrics, complaining, and quite a few comical mistakes from Vinicius, City finished the match as winners.
Every time you play Madrid in the Bernabeu you know what to expect, but this was the worst one I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. Real Madrid had a record of 8 wins and 1 draw in 9 matches under referee Clement Turpin, and City broke that unbeaten streak. The referee had zero control of the match, and had an obvious bias towards Madrid. The fact Foden got booked early on for what he did, but Valverde didn't for his disgusting challenge on Doku in the corner, Bellingham didn't for his challenge on Doku in the 2nd half, Asencio didn't for taunting Doku in the opening minutes, and Rudiger didn't get sent off for his last man challenge on Savinho was a disgrace. With all that being said, it makes it even more impressive that City left with all three points. All these theatrics and pressure, and we held onto the game it never looked in doubt. City had a really strong performance from nearly the whole squad, including substitutes, and it was one of our stronger performances this season. It was tactically our best, but the meaning of it and belief it will give the squad matters even more. Two of the biggest standouts were Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku. What they were doing to Madrid’s defense shouldn't be legal. Cherki was toying with the defenders and showed Rodrygo and Vincius what a Brazilian player should play like. Doku on the other side was just harassing Asencio and Valverde, and was unlucky to leave without a goal or assist. It was a really hard game to play through the middle of the park where those two and Foden love to operate as Madrid completely congested the middle of the park and stretched us wide.
The other standouts are the goal scorer Nico O’Reilly and Ruben Dias. I’ve already spoken a lot on O’Reilly this season, but again need to reiterate how impressive what he's done has been. He has been arguably the best Left Back in the world behind Nuno Mendes this season, has fended off a great player in Rayan Ait Nouri and locked the spot as his own, and looked like a seasoned veteran. He scored his first ever Champions League Goal at the Bernabeu, and hopefully secured his spot next summer as England’s starting Left Back. Dias on the other hand I haven’t talked about as much. Many seemed to have given up on him or accepted a drop in quality from him, but he seems to be back to his best. He was everywhere and blocking everything, in a performance similar to the one he had against PSG in his first season at City. We've seen all season that he is back to being one of Europe’s elite defenders, such as the Liverpool match. If all goes to plan he’ll make his way back into the PFA TOTY as one of the world's best center halves. He is obviously one of great leaders in this team and has been for a while, and something tells me that if Bernardo leaves in the summer that armband will be his. I believe he should've gotten it after Fernandinho left to usher in a new era, but better late than never.
This was a clinical and critical performance for us. It can help us a lot in the Champions League standings and can help us a lot with getting us to play at home in the 2nd leg in the knockouts. It was also a huge moral victory as we haven't beaten Madrid since the treble season, and definitely helped some players exercise some demons. Hopefully we can take this rich vein of form we’ve been in the past four games into the busy period of Premier League games with an important Carabao Cup Quarterfinal mixed into there. This weekend we’re back in the league at a tricky Selhurst Park, then in the week we host Brentford in a Cup quarterfinal.
The match started off terribly for City, and after a few sloppy giveaways from Gvardiol and Bernardo City gave away a penalty in the opening 90 seconds, or so we thought. After a VAR check it was moved to a freekick right on the edge of the box, and at that distance it was always gonna be hard to get on target clean so we escaped just giving away a corner. The rest of the next 30 minutes was pretty even, but Madrid had the clear cut chances. It was a classic Real Madrid game full of theatrics, taunting, flopping around, and hard tackles, and of course after 30 minutes the forward on a 30+ game goalless streak scored against us. Rodrygo slotted the ball past Donnarumma and put the hosts 1-0 up. After that City were on the front foot for the rest of the half, and after we won a corner a beautiful Rayan Cherki delivery eventually found the feet of Nico O’Reilly who made it level. A few minutes later O’Reilly sent another cross into the box that looked to be destined to find Erling Haaland, but of course Antonio Rudiger NFL tackled him in the box and the ref obviously didn't blow his whistle. After the ball went out of play VAR intervened and City surprisingly got a penalty. Of course the best striker in the world slotted it in to maintain his personal record of having more goals than games in the champions league. Right before the stroke of half O’Reilly sent in another cross where Courtois saved Madrid with an amazing double save against Haaland and Cherki to keep the score within reason. After a second half full of theatrics, complaining, and quite a few comical mistakes from Vinicius, City finished the match as winners. 
Every time you play Madrid in the Bernabeu you know what to expect, but this was the worst one I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. Real Madrid had a record of 8 wins and 1 draw in 9 matches under referee Clement Turpin, and City broke that unbeaten streak. The referee had zero control of the match, and had an obvious bias towards Madrid. The fact Foden got booked early on for what he did, but Valverde didn't for his disgusting challenge on Doku in the corner, Bellingham didn't for his challenge on Doku in the 2nd half, Asencio didn't for taunting Doku in the opening minutes, and Rudiger didn't get sent off for his last man challenge on Savinho was a disgrace. With all that being said, it makes it even more impressive that City left with all three points. All these theatrics and pressure, and we held onto the game it never looked in doubt. City had a really strong performance from nearly the whole squad, including substitutes, and it was one of our stronger performances this season. It was tactically our best, but the meaning of it and belief it will give the squad matters even more.
Two of the biggest standouts were Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku. What they were doing to Madrid’s defense shouldn't be legal. Cherki was toying with the defenders and showed Rodrygo and Vincius what a Brazilian player should play like. Doku on the other side was just harassing Asencio and Valverde, and was unlucky to leave without a goal or assist. It was a really hard game to play through the middle of the park where those two and Foden love to operate as Madrid completely congested the middle of the park and stretched us wide. 
The other standouts are the goal scorer Nico O’Reilly and Ruben Dias. I’ve already spoken a lot on O’Reilly this season, but again need to reiterate how impressive what he's done has been. He has been arguably the best Left Back in the world behind Nuno Mendes this season, has fended off a great player in Rayan Ait Nouri and locked the spot as his own, and looked like a seasoned veteran. He scored his first ever Champions League Goal at the Bernabeu, and hopefully secured his spot next summer as England’s starting Left Back. Dias on the other hand I haven’t talked about as much. Many seemed to have given up on him or accepted a drop in quality from him, but he seems to be back to his best. He was everywhere and blocking everything, in a performance similar to the one he had against PSG in his first season at City. We've seen all season that he is back to being one of Europe’s elite defenders, such as the Liverpool match. If all goes to plan he’ll make his way back into the PFA TOTY as one of the world's best center halves. He is obviously one of great leaders in this team and has been for a while, and something tells me that if Bernardo leaves in the summer that armband will be his. I believe he should've gotten it after Fernandinho left to usher in a new era, but better late than never.
This was a clinical and critical performance for us. It can help us a lot in the Champions League standings and can help us a lot with getting us to play at home in the 2nd leg in the knockouts. It was also a huge moral victory as we haven't beaten Madrid since the treble season, and definitely helped some players exercise some demons. Hopefully we can take this rich vein of form we’ve been in the past four games into the busy period of Premier League games with an important Carabao Cup Quarterfinal mixed into there. This weekend we’re back in the league at a tricky Selhurst Park, then in the week we host Brentford in a Cup quarterfinal.
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