Real Madrid is one step closer to defending their UEFA Champions League title from last season. The La Liga powerhouse claimed a 3-2 comeback win over Premier League heavyweights Manchester City in the first leg of the Knockout Round Playoffs.
Real was an inferior side in the first half and was trailing after 19 minutes. Man City’s defender Josko Gvadirol used his chest to pass the ball to Erling Haaland in the penalty box, allowing the Norwegian striker to score a beautiful volley for a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw more animated Real and their efforts paid off in the 60th minute thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s equalizer. The Spanish team continued to press and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before they got another one.
However, it was Man City that got the next goal. Phil Foden was tackled in the penalty area by Dani Ceballos and Haaland stepped to the spot and calmly bagged his second goal of the game in the 80th minute.
Real didn’t wait too long to respond, with substitute striker Brahim Diaz using the commotion in the penalty area after Ederson’s save to pick up the loose ball and find the net six minutes later.
The game then entered in added time and it seemed like it would end in a tie. But City’s goalie Ederson made a miscalculated attempt in the dying second of the game to rush at the forward Vinicius Jr., who simply chipped the ball over him. Jude Bellingham was in the right place and found himself in front of an empty goal for an easy score.
With the win, Real Madrid finds itself in a good position to progress to the Round of 16. They welcome City at their home stadium for the second leg on February 19 while having one goal advantage. The winner from this matchup will play either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the next stage.
In other Knockout Round Playoffs clashes, Paris Saint-Germain got a 3-0 win over Brest while Borussia Dortmund beat Sporting Lisbon with the same result. Finally, Juventus claimed a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.
