Wow. Just wow. Kylian Mbappe put on a show at the Santiago Bernabeu, ripping Manchester City to shreds with a sensational hat-trick as Real Madrid stormed into the next round. This wasn’t just a defeat it was a demolition. City looked like ghosts on the pitch, lost in a sea of Madrid brilliance.
Pep Guardiola had hoped to give Madrid a scare, but instead, his team was the one haunted. The machine he built over eight years is now creaking, malfunctioning, maybe even finished.
They needed just one goal to spark a comeback, but by the time Nico Gonzalez scored a meaningless consolation, City were already buried 3-0 on the night, 6-2 on aggregate.
Madrid were a different beast. They played with swagger, with confidence, with ease. Mbappe moved like a man in total control, Vinicius Jr. tormented defenders, Rodrygo danced through City’s broken lines, and even a youth-teamer, Raul Asencio, pulled the strings like a seasoned pro. The only downside for Los Blancos? Jude Bellingham will miss the first leg of their next tie.
As for City? This was more than just a bad night. It felt like the end of an era. The fear factor? Gone. The dominance? Over. Madrid toyed with them, pitied them, played them off the pitch. Guardiola’s side that once looked unstoppable now looks like a shadow of itself.
Four minutes. That’s all it took. One long ball, one Mbappe chip, and it was done. From there, City had no answers. No belief. No fight. Just a slow, painful death at the hands of a Madrid side that smelled blood and went for the kill.
Mbappe added two more, each goal a work of art, each moment a reminder that when Madrid wants the Champions League, they take it. City, meanwhile, were passengers in their own downfall, unable to keep up, unable to fight back.
This wasn’t just a Madrid win. This was a statement. A massacre. A footballing lesson.
And for City? The dream is over. Maybe for good.
