Real Madrid did what it needed to do and secured its spot in the Champions League Round of 16. The 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu reflected the efficiency of Carlo Ancelotti’s team, which knew how to exploit spaces, scored at the right moment, and controlled the game against Manchester City.
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Mbappé’s impact on Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé was the man of the night, scoring all three goals for the Spanish team. The Frenchman was quick, precise, and opportune, penetrating the other side's defense. Khusanov scored one for City at the end, but it was too late. Qualification is now complete, and Real Madrid awaits the next draw, when it will host Atlético de Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Mbappé came onto the pitch with the intention of scoring. And score he did. Just four minutes into the game, he was played through by Asensio, beat a defender inside the box, and chipped the ball over Ederson to put his team in front. The goal gave the team confidence and forced City to send men forward.
Again in the first half, the Frenchman scored again. At 33 minutes, he dribbled past Gvardiol and placed into the corner, leaving Ederson with no choice. With a two-goal lead and the other side unable to react, the game was unfolding as per Real Madrid's strategy.
At 61 minutes, the coup de grâce. Mbappé collected the ball on the byline, adjusted with a quick touch, and struck with his left foot. Hat-trick, story over.
The stats of the forward in the Champions League are overwhelming. With 55 goals from 83 matches, he has already become a legend of the tournament. He is 26 and now joins the direct competition with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (91 goals), Lionel Messi (66 goals), and Karim Benzema (88 goals).
"He has the quality to reach Cristiano Ronaldo’s level, but he needs to work because Cristiano set the bar very high. With his quality and ambition, he can get there, but it won’t be easy. He has to put in the effort."
Ancelotti’s precise strategy against Guardiola
After the match, Carlo Ancelotti analyzed the team’s performance: "We did the same thing we did well in the first leg. It was an all-around match in all senses: defensively, on the attack, with and without the ball. When the team moves well off the ball, the quality of the attack is extremely high, and there are many opportunities."
Real Madrid managed to neutralize Manchester City's strong points and took advantage of the moment at crucial times to launch counterattacks. The English team lacked Erling Haaland, and Ancelotti reaffirmed it.
"Without Haaland, Manchester City does not have attacking power. We scored early with a long ball and then controlled the game."
The Italian coach set up a tight, well-organized, and potent team. City couldn't possibly create scoring opportunities and could only get the back of the net in stoppage time.
What's coming up in the Champions League?
Now that Real Madrid qualified, it now waits for the draw to determine who its next opponent will be. The coach was on the fence regarding the possible match-ups.
"We are in the battle, in the Round of 16. We labored a lot to arrive here, and now we have to pay an enormous respect to Atlético and Leverkusen."
Atlético de Madrid is both a tactical and emotional test, and Bayer Leverkusen, with Xabi Alonso at the helm, has been doing well this season.
Regardless of who the opponent is, Real Madrid is still one of the favorites.