Vinícius Jr stars as 10-man City crash out with 5-1 aggregate defeat.
Real Madrid knocked Manchester City out of the UEFA Champions League once again, sealing a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium to complete a dominant 5-1 aggregate win.
City’s already difficult task of overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit became nearly impossible early on when captain Bernardo Silva was sent off for handling the ball on the goal line.
Vinícius Júnior calmly converted the resulting penalty to effectively end the contest, continuing his standout performance across both legs.
Despite the setback, City responded through Erling Haaland, who equalised before half-time. However, Madrid’s composure in big moments proved decisive once again.
Deep into stoppage time, Vinícius struck again, finishing off a move from Aurélien Tchouaméni to seal the win on the night.
Madrid’s strength in transition and defensive resilience—led by Thibaut Courtois before his substitution—kept City at bay throughout the encounter.
For Pep Guardiola, the defeat raises serious concerns as City are now winless in three matches, face Arsenal in the League Cup final, trail the Premier League leaders by nine points, and still have a tough FA Cup clash against Liverpool ahead.
Once again, City’s Champions League ambitions fall short against Madrid—marking the fourth elimination in five seasons by the Spanish giants.
Under Álvaro Arbeloa, Madrid showed their depth, even leaving Kylian Mbappé on the bench, while Jude Bellingham is expected to return soon.
They now look ahead to a likely quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich, continuing their pursuit of yet another European title, once again proving why they remain the kings of the Champions League knockout stages.
