Champions League 1st Leg Playoff
Manchester, Feb 12: Real Madrid’s Galacticos just don’t know when they are beaten. Manchester City just keep on making the same mistakes.
Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time goal sealed a stunning comeback for Madrid and a 3-2 lead in its Champions League playoff against City.
In six frantic minutes at the end of a breathless first leg Tuesday, the Spanish giant scored twice to take a precious advantage into next week’s match at the Bernabeu.
City led 2-1 after 80 minutes at the Etihad Stadium through goals in each half from Erling Haaland. But Brahim Diaz and then Bellingham silenced the home crowd and extend a sorry record for City that has seen it concede seven goals in the last 15 minutes of Champions League games this season.
“We need to see games out better, that’s for sure,” City defender John Stones said. “We have to stay positive, which is difficult right now.” Bellingham slid in to convert Vinicius Junior’s lobbed pass in the second minute of added time to bring back memories of Madrid’s dramatic comeback against City in the semifinal in 2022. Then it was Rodrygo who scored twice from the 90th and Madrid eventually sent Pep Guardiola’s team crashing out in extra time.
At least City has a chance to salvage the tie in the second leg, but the sense of deflation was clear after such a late collapse.
“It’s not the first time, unfortunately, it happened many times and that’s why it’s difficult,” Guardiola said. “I’ve been here for many years and we have been an extraordinary team.
“But in the moment I’m not able… I’m not good enough, you know, to give something to (give) composure to the team, to (know) how to manage the situations.” It was another thrilling, white knuckle-ride of a game between these two giants of European soccer and a one-goal advantage for Madrid means there is still all to play for.
Defeat ended City’s 35-game unbeaten run at home in the Champions League, dating back to 2018.
City led through Haaland’s goal in the 19th.
By that stage, Madrid had seen a penalty overturned for offside and a Ferland Mendy goalbound effort blocked by Manuel Akanji.
Vinicius Junior then hit the bar with a curling shot and Akanji also clipped the frame of the goal with a header.Haaland hit the bar again less than a minute into the second half.
Madrid’s equalized on the hour through a freakish goal from Mbappe when his miskicked volley wrongfooted Ederson and looped softly over the line.Mbappe hit the post with another chance before Ceballos brought Phil Foden down just inside the box and Haaland’s penalty restored City’s lead.On came former City academy player Diaz, who left City for Madrid in 2019 and he leveled the game again before Bellingham’s winner.
“I don’t care what form City are in they are still an unbelievable team and so difficult to play against, they way they move you and manipulate your position,” Bellingham said.
“It’s always really tricky to play against them and in the end we took one of the many chances finally and made it count.”
Paris Saint-Germain took a big step toward the round of 16 by beating Brest 3-0 and Juventus won 2-1 against PSV Eindhoven. Borussia Dortmund also looks on course for the next round after a 3-0 win at Sporting Lisbon.
Ousmane Dembélé struck twice for PSG to extend his scoring streak to 10 games in a row.
His outstanding form as has seen him score 18 goals during that run.
It was his shot that led to PSG taking the lead through a 21st-minute penalty after Pierre Lees-Melou handled in the area. Vitinha converted the spot kick.
Dembélé scored his first in the 45th when he broke free down the right and curled a shot inside the post. His second came in the 66th when he pounced on a loose ball and burst into the penalty area to score his 23rd goal of the season.
Having made hard work of the new-look league phase of the tournament, it would take a major upset in the second leg in Paris to deny PSG a place in the next round.
Juventus leads
Substitute Samuel Mbangula grabbed a late winner for Juventus and in doing so claimed his first Champions League goal.
The 21-year-old Belgian forward reacted quickly when goalkeeper Walter Benitez spilled a low cross from the right by Francisco Conceição in the 82nd. (AP)