Manchester City endured another late-game capitulation in the Champions League Tuesday as Real Madrid snatched a dramatic 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium. Jude Bellingham proved to be the hero for Los Blancos, heading in the final seconds to hand Madrid a vital first-leg advantage.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City in the 19th minute after a well-worked team move with Josko Gvardiol and Jack Grealish. Madrid equalised as Vinicius Jr. hit the bar, before Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning acrobatic finish on the hour.
Haaland put City back on top from the spot in the 80th minute after Phil Foden had been fouled by Dani Ceballos but Madrid would not lie down. Ederson made a mistake that allowed Brahim Diaz to equalize, while Vinicius provided the setup for Bellingham’s dramatic winner.
City conceded 20 shots— the most any opponent at the Etihad had mustered against City under Pep Guardiola. They have now won none of their last four Champions League matches in which they opened the scoring, however, a concerning pattern going into the return fixture in Madrid.
Dembele’s Double Sends PSG Past Brest With 3-0 Win
Paris Saint-Germain moved closer to the Champions League last 16 with a dominant 3-0 win over Brest. Ousmane Dembele stood out, with two goals that put the Parisians firmly in control of the all-French tie.
Vitinha got the scoring started in the 21st minute on a penalty kick after Pierre Lees-Melou committed a handball. Brest, having been denied earlier by the post, came back at them, but Dembele found the target with a low shot into the near post just before the interval.
And the former Barcelona winger completed the scoring in the 66th minute, burying another shot from close range to register his 18th goal in his last 11 games. PSG will hold the advantage going into the second leg, which will be at the Parc des Princes.
Late Mbangula Goal Gives Juventus Narrow Home Win Over PSV
Samuel Mbangula’s bench heroics sent Juventus through to a 2-1 win over PSV in the first leg of their Champions League play-off. The Belgian hotshot reacted fastest to a rebound in the 82nd minute to give the Italian giants a vital lead.
Weston McKennie had given Juventus the lead in the first half when he unleashed a sensational long-range strike into the top corner, but veteran Ivan Perisic equalized for PSV soon after the break. The tie is nicely poised for the second leg in Eindhoven.
Dortmund near the top of the table as Guirassy shines
Borussia Dortmund were propelled to a 3-0 victory over Sporting CP by masterclass Serhou Guirassy. The striker scored once and set up another to put his side firmly in command.
Guirassy opened the scoring with a towering header one hour in and then teed up Pascal Gross for a second. Karim Adeyemi sealed the win with a spectacular counterattack goal, ensuring a comfortable victory for last year’s runners-up.
Guirassy now joins Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski as the only players in a single season to score 10 goals in the Champions League for Dortmund. With 13 goal involvements across all competitions, he set a new club record.
More drama beckons in the second legs as the continent’s elite vie for a last-16 spot.
