Actual Madrid as soon as once more twisted the knife into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis to compound a troubled season for the English champions and depart them on the point of an early Champions League exit.
Twice Metropolis led on the Etihad as Erling Haaland lastly got here to the celebration towards the Spanish giants together with his first two objectives in 5 video games towards Madrid.
However the Norwegian’s objectives can’t paper over the obtrusive cracks for Metropolis this season.
Madrid had been wasteful for 85 minutes and would have headed house cursing their ending however for a late flourish.
Brahim Diaz netted towards this former membership simply seconds after coming off the bench earlier than Jude Bellingham, on his return to England, tapped house the winner in stoppage time after one other Metropolis defensive calamity.
Metropolis have now conceded eight objectives within the closing quarter-hour of their final 5 Champions League video games.
Late objectives have additionally been an issue for Guardiola within the Premier League, the place Metropolis sit a distant 15 factors behind leaders Liverpool.
Regardless of successful simply three of their eight earlier Champions League video games this season, Metropolis sneaked into the play-off spherical on the ultimate night time of the league section.
Nonetheless, they paid the value for ending twenty second within the 36-team desk by being paired with the 15-time European champions.
The golf equipment are dealing with off for the fourth consecutive season within the Champions League.
Madrid got here out on high in two of the earlier three ties, however on every event their journey to the Etihad was a chastening one.
In 2022 and 2023, Carlo Ancelotti’s males shipped 4 objectives, whereas final yr they clung on bravely for a 1-1 draw earlier than progressing on penalties.
This time it was a unique story, lengthy earlier than the late twist within the story.
“It was a bizarre one. We performed a few of our greatest soccer of the season and ended up behind,” mentioned Bellingham.
– Ageing Metropolis –
Madrid might have struck 3 times inside the primary quarter-hour via Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Ferland Mendy.
A sequence of extra possibilities got here and went earlier than Mbappe cancelled out Haaland’s opener with a lucky mishit.
Haaland restored Metropolis’s lead from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.
However even then the diminished nature of Guardiola’s facet from the one which has dominated the Premier League lately was uncovered.
“The reality is we aren’t secure sufficient. It occurred many occasions,” conceded Guardiola.
“In the long run we gave it away ourselves and at this degree it is so tough. It isn’t the primary time.”
Metropolis’s first house European defeat since 2018 compounded the hardest season of Guardiola’s glittering teaching profession thus far.
He repeated his perception that he has “not been adequate” to summon a response from an ageing squad that has dipped drastically since successful an unprecedented 4 consecutive Premier League titles.
Metropolis splashed out greater than £170 million ($211 million) within the January switch window in a determined try and revive their fortunes.
However none of Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush or Abdukodir Khusanov began, whereas Vitor Reis was not included of their European squad for the knockout levels.
As an alternative Guardiola put his religion in people who have delivered for him prior to now.
Not for the primary time this season, they ran out of steam within the closing levels as Madrid took a large step in the direction of ending Metropolis’s Champions League dream for the third time in 4 years.
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