Real Madrid has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League after eliminating Manchester City for the third consecutive time. The 2-1 victory at the Etihad helped Los Blancos win 5-1 overall, thereby likely to face Bayern Munich - the team that beat Atalanta 6-1 in the first leg of the round of 16 - in the quarter-finals.
Needing to reverse the situation after being led by Real Madrid by 3 goals, Man City started quite well. However, the turning point occurred in the middle of the first half when Bernardo Silva was sent off for using his hand to block Vinicius Junior's shot on the goal line. This decision was made after a long period of VAR testing.
From the penalty spot, Vinicius - who missed in the first leg - did not make a mistake. Although Erling Haaland managed to equalize before halftime, Man City still could not turn the tide when playing with one less player.
In the second half, coach Pep Guardiola's team put the ball into the net twice but both were disallowed for offside. Despite launching 22 shots, they were still powerless against Real Madrid's defense, before Vinicius scored the winning goal in injury time.
This continues to be a disappointing Champions League season for Guardiola. In a decade of leading Man City, he has only won once (2023) and once reached the final (2021), while only three times reached the semi-finals - a number not commensurate with the team's ambition to dominate Europe.
This achievement partly reminds of Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United. The "Red Devils" once dominated the domestic league but did not really dominate in the Champions League. If they leave Etihad this summer, the European arena may be a rare minus point in Guardiola's legacy.
In the opposite direction, Real Madrid once again proved that they cannot be underestimated. Although not highly rated from the beginning, the Royal team still overcame the difficult group stage, defeated a strong opponent and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona may be highly rated, but Real Madrid is always a team that knows how to win in this arena. "The White Vultures" finished the group stage in ninth place and had to go through the play-offs with Benfica, but now they are in the quarterfinals. For them, any scenario can happen.
Despite scoring, Haaland is still not in his best form. The goal against Real Madrid is only his fifth goal in 2026. In the first leg, the Norwegian striker did not have any shots, and in the draw with West Ham United, he also missed many clear chances.
Part of the reason may come from the lack of support from wingers like Savinho and Jeremy Doku, but clearly he has not yet regained his familiar sharpness.
Trent Alexander-Arnold also had a forgettable match when facing many difficulties against Doku, thereby raising doubts about his position in the England team aiming for the World Cup. The injury makes this defender lack stability, and his performance at Real Madrid is not convincing enough to guarantee a solid spot.
Man City's rare bright spot is Abdukodir Khusanov. The 22-year-old defender had an impressive performance, showing clear progress and many times neutralizing dangerous attacks. Even in a disappointing match, Khusanov still stood out as a rare positive signal for Man City.
We still have an important match on Sunday and the FA Cup quarter-finals with Liverpool. The Premier League still has to fight to finish well, and prepare the right decisions for next season. Next season, we will return to the Champions League" - Guardiola said after the match.
