That night, Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the north of England and won 5-1 on aggregate, locking their ticket to the Champions League quarter-finals. Erling Haaland fired from close range shortly before half-time and Vinícius Júnior scored two goals, a penalty and a late strike.
three answers
1. Can Real Madrid advance 36 times in a row with a 3-0 lead in the first leg?
Before this game, Real Madrid had won the first leg of the two-round knockout round with 3 or more goals 36 times in major European competitions, and maintained the record of never being eliminated. Alvaro Arbeloa also became the first Real Madrid coach to win all four of the first four knockout games in the Champions League. Real Madrid’s morale is high. Here, Real Madrid not only got the job done and escaped intact, but they once again dismantled Guardiola’s side and looked to have the advantage, although their personnel advantage was aided by Bernardo Silva’s dismissal for an apparent handball in the first half. The draw was decided in Madrid but victory in the second leg and the level of performance that led to it will really convince Madridistas that the trophy can return to the Bernabeu from Budapest.
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2. Will Fran Garcia take his chance?
With Alvaro Carreras unable to start, Fran Garcia will be the only substitute in the first leg, with Ferland Mendy also left out. Garcia was clearly Arbeloa’s third choice and he had not started a game under the coach until the weekend’s win over Elche, where he was the only senior left-back. While he was impressive against Elche, he was the weak link here, failing to win a tackle or ground duel and allowing the Citizens to have two clear penalty appeals for handball and a possible foul on Bernardo Silva. This game may have shown why Arbeloa no longer trusts him. But it also led to a surprise chance for Andrei Lunin, with Thibaut Courtois being substituted as a precaution at half-time and the Ukrainian getting his first minute since Arbeloa’s humiliating defeat to Albacete on his Copa del Rey debut. His three saves were further evidence that Courtois’ injury was more serious than initially feared.
3. Will Kylian Mbappe feature?
While few expected Kylian Mbappe to join the squad, head coach Alvaro Arbeloa insisted on Monday that Mbappe was “already ready to play” and the Frenchman was included in the traveling party. When he came on with 21 minutes remaining, it seemed more like a routine drill to improve his fitness level than a call on him because his team truly needed him. Understandably, he looked a little off the pace and in one of the few standout moments he earned himself an unnecessary yellow card for wasting time. His penalty shout was denied when he burst past Rayan Ait Nouri, but we didn’t see enough of Mbappe to really imagine how he would fit into Arbeloa’s system, which has served him well in recent weeks while the striker recovers from a knee problem.
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three questions
1. Does Vinicius Júnior’s resurgence be attributed to Alvaro Arbeloa?
Vinicius Junior coolly converted a penalty just days after missing one against Elche and added another in stoppage time, taking his tally to nine in 15 games in all competitions for Real since Alvaro Arbeloa arrived, two more than he had in 33 games under Xavi Alonso. Vinnie has continued to improve under Arbeloa and seems to have all the confidence as a leader under his new coach. Kylian Mbappe was on the pitch in injury time but looking to cut inside on the edge of the area, the Brazilian attacking the six-yard box and betting on a cross close to goal. That run had disappeared from his game months ago, and his frustration got the best of him. He now looks more confident, ready to lead by example and let his football do the talking, just like he did at the Etihad Stadium.
2. Is this Dean Huijsen’s coming-of-age night?
Dean Huizen’s season sums up Real Madrid’s season well. A bright start and promising signs quickly turned into mediocrity and disappointment. However, in both legs against Manchester City, and in his performances overall in recent weeks, he has looked like the player Real Madrid signed to beat half Europe in the summer. He is calm on the ball, has a pass success rate of 94%, and is calm when controlling the ball and attacking from the back. This shows in his eight passes into the final third, while he is second only to Arda Guler for Real Madrid’s accurate forward passes. He also won two ground duels and made a total of 10 clearances. He lined up alongside the experienced Antonio Rudiger against one of Europe’s strongest attacking forces. If he can continue to perform at this level, then Real Madrid have a real talent.
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3. What’s next on the way to Budapest?
The game against Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will almost certainly be tricky. Bavaria defeated Atalanta 6-1 in the first leg in Italy and faced top-ranked Arsenal in London, finishing second with a record of 7 wins and 1 loss. It was one of only two losses in all competitions so far this season. Averaging 3.6 goals per game domestically this season, they are certainly not an easy team to deal with, even if their goalkeeping crisis means they are short of several options between the posts. The meeting of two of the game’s biggest clubs is exactly the kind of challenge Real Madrid can thrive on, as they showed against the challenge of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, rather than being labeled favorites like they did against Benfica.