Nico O’Reilly’s opportunistic strike and Erling Haaland’s penalty helped Manchester City to fight back to beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a tense Champions League contest at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday (December 10).
Rodrygo opened the scoring with a low shot from a counter in the 28th minute, with City looking exposed almost every time Madrid ventured forward for the first half an hour.
But Madrid pressed the self-destruct button, first when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois spilled a relatively easy header from Josko Gvardiol, with O’Reilly converting the rebound in the 35th minute.
Then, eight minutes later, defender Antonio Ruediger conceded a penalty by wrestling Haaland to the ground as he went to meet a cross in the six-yard box, with the Norwegian striker making sure with the resulting penalty.
The result moved Pep Guardiola’s City to fourth place in the group with 13 points from six matches, while Madrid slipped to seventh with 12 points, increasing scrutiny on manager Xabi Alonso as Real’s dismal run extended to just two wins in eight matches across all competitions over the past five weeks.
(Reuters)
