Champions League: In Real win, a lesson in survival for City

Champions League: In Real win, a lesson in survival for City

Champions League: In Real win, a lesson in survival for City ByDhiman Sarkar Feb 12, 2025 07:12 PM IST Share Via Copy Link Manchester City led 2-1 but faltered late, losing 3-2 to Real Madrid, highlighting City's fragility and Real's attacking resilience in the Champions League.

Kolkata: Repair, recover, reboot. Manchester City have been trying that since their spectacular slide began in October. For 86 minutes through a pulsating encounter on a cold night at home, it looked like City had managed to do that. And then they froze, their Champions League play-off first leg moving from delight to disappointment and finally despair.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior (L) fights for the ball with Manchester City's Rico Lewis during their Champions League match. (AFP)

Real are far from the team that bested Europe last term. Lille, Liverpool, Athletic Bilbao, AC Milan, Barcelona and Espanyol have beaten them in 2024-25. In two Clasicos, Real have leaked nine goals. And yet, they are having a season that is the equivalent of Oceans 11, 12 and 13 combined. They are leading in La Liga, have made the Copa del Rey semi-final and, following the comeback 3-2 win against City, now have a foot in the Champions League round of 16.

In that, possibly, there is a lesson in survival and mental fortitude for Manchester City. The hosts missed only Rodri and had all their new signings available. Real were without Antonio Ruediger, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vázquez. An emergency situation, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti had said of their lack of defensive personnel. While City moved John Stones into midfield on Tuesday, Real sent midfielders Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde back. Yet Real have signed no defenders. No replacement for Joselu either.

Because, after winning a point against Atletico Madrid, Ancelotti had said the formula was working. Attack is the best form of defence. Jude Bellingham moving up to join the attack has taken care of Joselu’s departure. Real’s attacking prowess and belief in themselves have managed to paper over obvious defensive issues in most games.

City showed resolve to deny a team as fluent in attack as a line-up comprising Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Bellingham is expected to be. When Mbappe equalised with his shin in the 60th, television cameras zoomed in on him, Vincius Jr and Bellingham laughing. In the documentary celebrating his cult, David Beckham says Ronaldo would do that even when Real were trailing. The Brazilian phenomenon was confident Real would find a way. Usually, the galacticos would. Like the galacitos of today.

Yes, Real were under siege late in the first half. And, yes, twice Erling Haaland had put City ahead. Haaland had not scored in four previous meetings with Real and looked determined to end that on Tuesday. He defended corner-kicks, tracked back to win a foul and Madrid’s makeshift backline struggled to cope with his tremendous physical presence.

Haaland had started the second half by hitting the horizontal. Thibaut Courtois signalled to Haaland to go one way with his 76th minute penalty. Haaland did and the double bluff put City 2-1 in front. Haaland’s first was a sumptuous finish after Jack Grealish lent support to Josko Gvardiol’s hard work at both ends. Nineteen minutes in, the roar nearly lifted City’s stadium off its moorings.

The City faithful had put up a tifo of Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or. Such taunts often don’t go down well as Benfica found out decades ago when they presented Eusebio the same award to psyche out Manchester United before kick-off. That night had ended with George Best becoming the fifth Beatle.

So this may have spurred Real’s famous four. Front and centre of the Ballon d’Or controversy, Vinicius Jr started with a poor pass but was brilliant all night. It was his shot which Ederson had chested and Brahim Diaz made it 2-2 in the 86th minute.

The move had begun with Ederson, so good till then, bowling out a poor ball. City then easily conceded possession again and Bellingham looked to have been unfairly denied by Bernardo Silva. Suddenly, like against PSG, Feyenoord, Sporting and Brighton, where they lost points from winning positions, City’s fragility was in full view. Bellingham’s tap-in after another piece of poor defending in 90+2 completed the disintegration.