Manchester City’s predictable Champions League humbling leaves Pep Guardiola with sobering realisation

Real Madrid 3-1 Man City (6-3 agg): A clinical hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe ensured there would be no fightback from Guardiola’s men, who were woefully swept aside at the Bernabeu

Manchester City’s Champions League exit shows just how far they have fallen (Action Images via Reuters)

The stuff of boyhood dreams for Kylian Mbappe but the continuation of Manchester City’s altogether newer nightmare and the confirmation of how far and how fast they have fallen. For Mbappe, his first great European evening at the Bernabeu yielded a hat-trick for the club he supported as a child. But, two years after winning the Champions League, City are out of it while Club Brugge remain in it. It has been a shocking fall from grace. And yet there was nothing surprising about elimination to Real Madrid: not to anyone who has watched their season. A 13th defeat in 26 games, a fourth in their last four away in Europe, was inevitable from the moment Mbappe lobbed Real ahead.

For Pep Guardiola, there was no remontada, no comeback for the ages, nothing to rescue City’s worst season in the Champions League for a dozen years or his poorest as a manager. There was just a defeat that was as comprehensive as it was predictable. City have had hard-luck stories in many of their Champions League exits. This wasn’t one of them. They were outclassed, the match stripped of its tension from the start.

This has been an epic rivalry but, while Real required late goals to beat City last week, now there is a gulf between the teams. Real could have won by more if they needed to. City could have been humiliated. Instead, they were simply dispatched, flattered by the scoreline, flattened on the night. They had the last say, Nico Gonzalez tapping in his first City goal after Omar Marmoush’s free kick rebounded off the bar. This time an injury-time goal at the Bernabeu was merely a postscript.

There were images of indignities for them: of Ruben Dias failing to head the ball for Mbappe’s first, of Josko Gvardiol sliding in the wrong direction for his second. City have conceded 19 goals in their last seven Champions League games. They have been culpable in far too many.

While Mbappe was sleekness personified, City were passive. Guardiola, who rarely hides his emotions, looked downcast and despondent. “It's OK to accept the reality that they were better,” he said. “In previous seasons when we were playing outstanding it hurts more than today. I have the feeling we were better than them in the previous three seasons but this time they were better.” He had conjured an unexpected line-up, but perhaps there was no combination of players from this City squad who would have sent them through. So now aims have been downgraded: from winning the Champions League to simply playing in it again. “Now to qualify among the top four or five to return,” said Guardiola.

Carlo Ancelotti’s emotions were very different. “We have possibilities to compete until the end in this competition,” he said.

Because there was an imperious element to Real. At times, they were content to toy with City. At others, it was a demonstration of superiority. With Mbappe’s stepovers, with Rodrygo’s sidesteps, they had the showmen to enjoy the occasion.

Some 180 minutes of football may have been decided in nine, plus stoppage time, separated by a week but bringing three goals. Real finished with a flourish at the Etihad and started at speed at home, letting City pass the ball and then scoring with their first raid forward.

Kylian Mbappe lobbed Ederson to give Real an early lead in the second leg (Action Images via Reuters)

Mbappe’s second goal was pure class, weaving inside of Josko Gvardiol and slotting past Ederson (Action Images via Reuters)

It was a goal that felt too simple, Fede Valverde feeding a ball over the top, Dias heading thin air and City’s high defensive line exploited by a famously fast forward. Mbappe had shinned in a goal last week. This time, his finish was purer, lofting the ball over the stranded Ederson.

His second came when Rodrygo fed in a deft pass. Mbappe fooled Gvardiol with a sharp turn and duly defeated Ederson. The goalkeeper made a terrific save to deny him a hat-trick; for all of three minutes, anyway, until Mbappe placed a shot past him. “I want to write history with Real Madrid,” said Mbappe. This is the way to go about it.

While the benched Erling Haaland watched on, Mbappe took his tally to 14 goals in 11 games. The Frenchman may have been overshadowed by the Norwegian for much of the match last week: in Haaland’s absence, he looked every inch a Galactico.

John Stones picked up another injury and was forced off after eight minutes (AP)

Pep Guardiola ran out of options and ideas as Real Madrid swept them aside (Getty Images)

“Without Haaland, City loses a lot of power,” said Ancelotti, who may have raised an eyebrow at Guardiola’s team selection. It was a side that lent itself to the familiar accusations of overthinking. Haaland was ruled out after, Guardiola said, scans were fine but “he had discomfort walking up the stairs”. So Phil Foden, benched last week, was instead anonymous as the false nine. Abdukodir Khusanov played right-back. The first-leg blueprint was ripped up. Perhaps it was desperation. It scarcely looked inspiration. But Guardiola’s plans were doubly disturbed in the opening eight minutes, first by Mbappe’s opener, then by the loss of the hurt John Stones. Yet injuries, defeat and more goals conceded felt an apt ending for City’s European campaign. “We have been a great team and this year for many reasons we are not,” said Guardiola. “It’s the year we have been the worst.”

So perhaps Guardiola wasn’t engaging in mind games when he said City had a one per cent chance in this leg. Perhaps it was simply a reasonable assessment. Because very little in City’s last four months suggested they could triumph at the Bernabeu. And whereas their 2023 Champions League win brought predictions of an era of continental dominance, they now look misguided. “Nothing is eternal,” said Guardiola. Except, of course, Real Madrid.