Manchester City’s Champions League journey came to an end on Wednesday night as Real Madrid sneaked past Pep Guardiola’s side on penalties.
The Citizens and Los Blancos played out a 3-3 draw in the first leg at the Bernabeu, leaving the tie evenly poised for the return encounter at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Real were the ones who the deadlock, netting in the 12th minute as Rodrygo eventually blasted past returning goalkeeper Ederson.
Kevin De Bruyne equalised for Man City in the 76th minute of the match, making it game on by firing into the roof of the net after a poor Antonio Rudiger clearance.
Neither the Citizens nor Real could find a winner in normal time, and extra time couldn’t separate the two titans either, so the encounter went to penalties.
Rudiger, who made the mistake for Man City’s equaliser, scored the winning spot-kick after midfielders Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic had their attempts saved.
Despite the heartbreak of elimination from the Champions League, the Citizens did play extremely well, which bodes well for the Premier League and FA Cup.
Indeed, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was blown away by the gulf in quality between Man City and Real.
What has Paul Merson said about Manchester City after their Champions League exit?
Merson believes Manchester City did something last night he hasn’t seen that often before, namely outplaying an opponent so comprehensively.
He wrote on Sky Sports: “Last night’s game was embarrassing. Man City did to Real Madrid what they did to Luton.
“For anybody watching that game, it was mind blowing. It was pure luck that Real got past City. They absolutely destroyed them. They embarrassed them.
“It was one of the most one-sided games I’ve ever seen, and City were just bang out of luck losing on penalties.
“Real Madrid cannot come away from that game and think they are a better team than Man City. They are a million miles behind them.”
As much as it will hurt for Man City and their fans, they need to regroup quickly, because there’s still a Premier League title and an FA Cup to try and win.
Considering how well the Citizens did against Real, one of the biggest and best teams in the world, they need to tap into that, realise that when they’re at their best they can beat anyone, and get back to it.
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