Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Bellingham late show caps comeback

Manchester City capitulated again in the Champions League as Real Madrid hit back to win 3-2 in the final seconds of Tuesday’s clash.

Jude Bellingham was Los Blancos’ hero at the Etihad Stadium, as he ensured the holders will head into the second leg of this play-off tie with a slender advantage.

Erling Haaland’s penalty in the 80th minute seemed set to get City over the line, with Kylian Mbappe having netted on the hour to cancel out the Norwegian’s first-half opener.

Yet 15-time European champions Madrid, who are struggling with a defensive injury crisis, found a way. Brahim Diaz equalised against his former club, before Bellingham completed the turnaround.

Manchester City conceded 20 shots against Real Madrid tonight. That’s the most any away team has had in a game at the Etihad in any competition since Pep Guardiola’s arrival.#UCL #MCIRMA pic.twitter.com/6MCRk5y8Jw

Haaland broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Josko Gvardiol chested the ball down from Jack Grealish’s exquisite chip, and City’s number nine finished coolly on the volley. The goal was given after a four-minute VAR check for offside.

Vinicius hit the bar in response, while the woodwork denied Manuel Akanji as City searched for a second at the other end.

Mbappe made Madrid’s fortune count when he sliced in an acrobatic finish that looped beyond Ederson into the right-hand corner, but Haaland made no mistake from the penalty spot to restore City’s lead after a clumsy foul from Dani Ceballos on Phil Foden.

Yet a mistake by Ederson gifted Madrid another equaliser, with Diaz on hand to tap home on the rebound.

And Los Blancos had the final say when Vinicius’ lob fell for the stretching Bellingham to tuck in the winner.

5 – Manchester City have lost five different games in which they’ve led in all competitions this season, as many as they did in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 combined. Fumbled. #MCIRMA pic.twitter.com/pBjpqp4PMA

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 11, 2025

Data Debrief: City’s late collapses becoming a trend

City have now failed to win any of their last four Champions League games in which they have scored first, with all those coming this season (1-4 v Sporting CP, 3-3 v Feyenoord, 2-4 v Paris Saint-German, 2-3 v Madrid).

They have conceded 57 goals in 38 games in all competitions this season, three more than they did in 59 games last term. Only in 2016-17 (60) have they conceded more in a campaign under Pep Guardiola.

This is the third Champions League game in which City have led twice and failed to win. All three occasions have come against Madrid.

Haaland, at least, was on form at the sharp end of the pitch, scoring his first Champions League goals against Los Blancos, even if Guardiola will be hugely concerned that City allowed Madrid to create chances worth 3.4 expected goals (xG).

City’s number nine now has 49 goals in the competition, and Guardiola will likely need a big performance from Haaland at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.