A 92nd minute goal from Jude Bellingham handed Real Madrid a 3-2 win over Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions round of 16 playoffs on Tuesday night, Afrosport reports.
The ninth encounter between these two heavyweights in the past six seasons was expected to be cracker and it lived up to that expectation at the Etihad Stadium when Erling Haaland put City in front in the 19th minute.
It remained that way to until the hour mark when Kylian Mbappe equalised before Haaland made it 2-1 from the penalty spot after Dani Ceballos caused a clumsy foul in the box.
Madrid were not going give up in their usual fashion and levelled matters for the second time in 86th minute through substitute and Morocco winger Brahim Diaz, who emerged from City’s academy in his formative years.
Los Blancos took the lead for the first and final time of the night in the second of three additional through Bellingham’s cinical finish.
The result gives Carlo Ancelotti’s men the slight advantage going into next week’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This game never disappoints 🍿#UCL pic.twitter.com/I1YOdeA3lB
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 11, 2025
In other knock playoff games on Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain got the better of fellow Ligue 1 side Brest 3-0 away from home, Ousmane Dembele netting a brace.
Meanwhile, Guinea forward Serhou Guirassy scored and assisted as Borussia Dortmund defeated Sporting Lisbon 3-0 on Portuguese soil while Italian giants Juventus defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-1.
