"The defender had been guilty of a lapse at the very outset, caught in possession, Madrid suddenly in and running. Then, there was the penalty that was not. It was a reckless swipe in the third minute by Matheus Nunes on Vinicius Junior, the referee, Clement Turpin, pointing to the spot only for the VAR to step in and rule that the offence was fractionally outside the area."
"That City would turn it around to lead 2-1 by half-time was of a piece with the topsy-turviness, the whiff of fragility about both teams, although Gvardiol was entitled to talk up the fighting spirit that he and his teammates showed. The goals came from Nico O'Reilly and Erling Haaland the first after a corner, the second from a penalty and they were sufficient for a momentous win."
"Momentous had to be the word because it was only the second time City had won at the Bernabeu, the first having been the 2-1 success in the Champions League last-16 first leg in 2019-20. That went down as one of the finest nights the club's fans had experienced, one celebrated long and loudly. It was different this time. In truth, it did not feel that momentous, mainly because it was a group game."
Manchester City overcame an early period of chaos at the Bernabeu to win 2-1 against Real Madrid. An initial lapse in possession and a VAR-reversed penalty allowed Madrid to take the lead through Rodrygo. City responded and led 2-1 at half-time with goals from Nico O'Reilly (from a corner) and Erling Haaland (from a penalty). The victory marked only the second time City had won at the Bernabeu, the previous success coming in 2019-20. The result improved City's chances of a top-eight group-stage finish and reflected the club's established Champions League status.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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