Real Madrid subdue City and come back from a crazy game

There's nothing like the smell of the Champions League on a Tuesday night. The melody that blares out of every stadium in Europe sounds different if one of the teams listening to it is Real Madrid.

At the Etihad everything was ready to boost Vinicius' morale with a banner calling him a crybaby in the purest Oasis style, but that is not part of the football of the Brazilian who shone at the club with 15 European Cups while the stands asked him about the Ballon d'Or.

Guardiola's men are not doing well. The Spanish coach has been given a new contract at the worst possible moment and anyone else with his numbers would be out on the street. But up front he has Haaland and, seven games later, the Norwegian scored against Real Madrid. The first goal came after a defensive miscue that he finished off inside the area and the second came after a millimetre penalty by Ceballos on Foden that the referee did not hesitate to award.

There are several details to note about these two goals. The errors in the first goal came from a defence that had never played together, in fact, that had never trained together, as Ancelotti revealed. Tchouaméni already looks more like a centre back, although the one who is already a top-level defender who has earned his place is Asencio.

The second goal came from a Ceballos free kick. The best Real Madrid player in recent games. Mistreated by the Italian coach and recognised by himself, he is coming out on top in the midfield. It could have been a penalty, but if he had given it, the referee should also have given a foul on a counter-attack where Bellingham was brought down as he entered the English area. 

Mbappé had the chance to make it three goals and kill the game off. He scored the 1-1 with his shin, in a rare foreshortening and pushing a ball that Ederson looked at attentively without trying to stop it. The Brazilian goalkeeper is not good enough for City, but Guardiola insists on keeping him season after season without much explanation.  

Brahim scored the 2-2 minutes after Haaland's 2-1 following a blatant error by Ederson who decided to take a long kick when the game plan is always to play short from the back. The error cost City the draw amid the apathy of their goalkeeper who makes a strange save to Bellingham and doesn't go for the follow-up shot. 

The Morocco international makes his way through a midfield packed with great players that, unfortunately, has left Güler out of the alternatives, while Modric pulls on his stripes and quality in the last 20 minutes of each game to Ancelotti's good fortune. 

The 2-3 scoreline was a portrait of City this season. Guardiola recognised this. Mistakes in the final minutes that have caused them to lose many points. Vinicius pressed a ball, the defence failed and there was Bellingham to make the umpteenth run of the game and bring Real Madrid a new success: beating City at home 7 years later. 

There's still the second leg. There's still the Bernabéu. It's only a playoff, but the European champions are back at the exact moment Ancelotti wanted. They are top of La Liga, in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey and with the long-awaited victory in the Champions League.