Champions League: Mbappe hat-trick knocks out Manchester City to fire Real Madrid into last 16

Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his workforce’s third purpose and his hat trick with teammate Jude Bellingham throughout the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on February 19, 2025 in Madrid, Spain
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

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Real Madrid dispatched Manchester City 3-1 with a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) of their Champions League playoff second leg at a raucous Santiago Bernabeu stadium, incomes them a 6-3 mixture victory and a spot within the last 16.

Last yr’s champions will face both Bayer Leverkusen or metropolis rivals Atletico Madrid, relying on Friday’s draw, as they search a record-extending sixteenth title.

It was the primary time in City coach Pep Guardiola’s illustrious profession that one in all his groups within the Champions League had failed to attain the spherical of 16.

“It was a perfect night,” Mbappe mentioned.

“It’s only logical that Real Madrid advance to the last 16 of the Champions League. We are very strong at home and it’s great to give joy to our fans.”

Real didn’t have to work too exhausting to subdue their sorry rivals who failed to handle a shot on track on the primary half, wanting a shadow of Guardiola’s dominant drive from previous years.

Already 3-2 down after a primary leg defeat at dwelling, City’s activity turned even tougher an hour earlier than kickoff once they introduced a beginning 11 with out main striker Erling Haaland, who suffered a knee harm on the weekend.

With City wanting clueless and out of concepts, Real took full management of proceedings and by no means seemed underneath menace.

Mbappe mayhem

Mbappe opened the scoring with Real’s first assault within the fourth minute, profiting from one other large blunder by City’s defence when captain Ruben Dias missed his header and left the French ahead free to lob over the onrushing Ederson.

Mbappe scored once more within the thirty third minute with a close-range strike after a humiliating cutback that left defender Josko Gvardiol on the ground.

Real saved piling on the strain and losing probabilities in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s struggling workforce. Mbappe scored his third within the 61st minute with a left-footed strike from the sting of the field simply inside Ederson’s proper submit.

Manchester City scored a compensation purpose on the demise, Nico Gonzalez changing a rebound after Omar Marmoush’s free kick bounced off the crossbar, nevertheless it did little to tarnish a implausible night time for the Spaniards.