Madrid, LOGIC.co.id - Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League Round of 16 after defeating Manchester City 3-1 in the second leg of the knockout playoff at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday (20/2/2025) early morning WIB. Kylian Mbappe was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick that led Los Blancos to a 6-3 aggregate victory over The Citizens.
Match Summary
From the very beginning, Real Madrid asserted their dominance. Just four minutes into the game, Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in spectacular fashion. A long pass from Raul Asencio was misjudged by Ruben Dias, allowing Mbappe to dribble into the penalty area before chipping the ball over Ederson. The score quickly became 1-0 for Madrid.
Playing without Erling Haaland, Manchester City struggled to break through Madrid's defense. The absence of the Norwegian striker resulted in limited attacking opportunities for City, and they also suffered an early setback as John Stones was forced off due to injury in the first half.
In the 33rd minute, Mbappe once again showcased his brilliance. Receiving a cutback pass from Rodrygo, the French forward skillfully bypassed Josko Gvardiol before firing a precise shot into Ederson's top corner. Madrid doubled their lead to 2-0 and extended their aggregate advantage to 5-2 by halftime.
Mbappe Completes Hat-Trick, City Manage Only One Reply
Entering the second half, Real Madrid continued to control the game. Mbappe nearly extended the lead in the 56th minute when he latched onto a cross from Vinicius Junior, but his close-range effort was denied by Ederson.
The third goal finally came in the 61st minute. After receiving a pass from Federico Valverde, Mbappe made a cutting run from the right and unleashed a left-footed strike towards the far post. Ederson couldn't stop it, and the scoreline extended to 3-0 in favor of Los Blancos.
Trailing by three goals, Manchester City tried to intensify their attacks. However, Madrid’s defense, led by Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni, remained rock solid. City's only breakthrough came in injury time when Omar Marmoush's free-kick hit the crossbar, and the rebound was slotted into an empty net by Nico Gonzalez. The match ended 3-1.
Real Madrid Advance, Manchester City Eliminated
This victory confirmed Real Madrid’s place in the Round of 16 with a 6-3 aggregate score, following their 3-2 win in the first leg at Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, Manchester City's Champions League campaign came to an early end.
With an outstanding performance, Kylian Mbappe was named Man of the Match after his stunning hat-trick, reinforcing his status as one of the best players in the world today.
Lineups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde (Alaba 89′), Rudiger, Asencio, Mendy; Tchouameni (Modric 83′), Ceballos (Camavinga 78′), Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe (Diaz 78′), Vinicius (Endrick 89′).
Manchester City: Ederson; Khusanov, Stones (Ake 8′), Dias, Gvardiol; Nico, Guendogan (Kovacic 77′); Bernardo, Foden (McAtee 77′), Savinho; Marmoush.
With this result, Real Madrid further solidified their reputation as one of the most successful teams in Champions League history, while Manchester City will have to reassess their performance in Europe's elite competition.