Manchester City Dumps 13-Time Champions, Real Madrid OUT Of UEFA Champions League

Manchester City dumped 13-time Champions, Real Madrid OUT of the UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 score; 2 howlers from Varane, especially after defeating them with the same scoreline at the Santiago Bernabeu. Pep Guardiola's side progress into the quarter-finals to face Lyon in Lisbon.

The match was balanced at the kick-off with Madrid keeping most of the ball until bad judgement from Courtois who passed  the ball to already marked Varane who was tackled by Gabriel Jesus, collected the ball and dropped it for Sterling who tucked it into the net to give them 1-0 in the match and 3-1 on aggregate.

The goal was so early in the game, 9 mins into the match and Real Madrid already had a huge mountain to climb, a bad judgement from Courtois but a defensive howler from World Cup winner, Varane. The absence of their captain was so obvious from then on, series of wrong passes at the back in a bid to play from the back. 

Raheem Sterling was wasteful in the match. He was too concerned about dribbles that he lost a couple of great chances to have extended the lead further in the game.

Real Madrid started to play, shots from Hazard, Benzema was threatening but could not make the not bulge.

Until 28 mins, when Rodrygo Goes sent in a lovely cross from the right-wing, Benzema towered higher than Fernandinho and Laporte to head the ball into the net leaving Ederson Moraes on the ground. He quickly ran towards the ball, grab it, and back to the midfield to restart the game. 

The match was leveled at 1-1 in the game and 3-2 on aggregate. Pressure started mounting on the Citizens, they were keeping the ball but once the Los Blancos collects it, it almost spelled doom at the back. The first half ended 1-1.

The second half began but changes in the teams was not until 61 mins, when Asensio came on for Rodrygo, Foden for Bernando.

At 68 min, Rodri sent a ball forward toward Jesus and Varane, Varane could not get a first time touch on the ball, it bounced off him but he managed to head it towards Courtois but the ball was slow and Jesus intercepted it and chipped Courtois into the net to make it 2-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate.

At this point, the game was over because Madrid needed 2 more goals to qualify and Manchester City was not even giving them the ball. The possession stats after that goal was 55% for Manchester City, they held the ball and even wanted to score more goals to seal off the win.

The match was the first knockout loss for Zinedine Zidane's Madrid, who had won the trophy 3 consecutive times. Now is he is out of this year's edition. He can take solace in the knowledge of not going without a trophy, he won Spanish La Liga.

It was predicted by a sport analyst

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