Manchester City Eliminated from Champions League by Real Madrid in Penalty Shootout

Manchester City was eliminated from the Champions League after losing to Real Madrid in a penalty shootout despite dominating the match at the Etihad Stadium.

The aggregate scoreline was 4-4 over the two legs, but Real Madrid's Antonio Rüdiger scored the decisive penalty to send Manchester City out of the competition.

The match ended 1-1 after regulation and extra time, with Rodrygo scoring early for Real Madrid and Kevin De Bruyne equalizing for Manchester City in the second half. The penalty shootout was tied 3-3 before Rüdiger's winning kick secured a 4-3 shootout victory for the Spanish champions.

Manchester City created numerous chances throughout the match but were unable to find the winning goal in normal time. Manager Pep Guardiola revealed that De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Manuel Akanji had all requested to be substituted due to fatigue and minor injuries. "Kevin, Erling, Manu, they asked for the change," Guardiola said. "They were not ready to continue in extra time."

Despite Manchester City's dominance, registering 33 shots compared to Real's 8, they were unable to score the second goal that would have won the tie. Guardiola praised his team's exceptional performance and commitment but acknowledged that Madrid were better from the penalty spot. "We were outstanding. We were good enough to win it but we were not lucky to win it," he said.

Why this matters: The loss ended Manchester City's bid for an unprecedented second consecutive treble, as they had won the Premier League and FA Cup in 2023. The defeat also marked another disappointing European exit for the club, who have failed to progress from four of their previous six Champions League quarter-finals.

Real Madrid advances to the Champions League semi-finals, where they will face Bayern Munich. Manchester City now turn their focus to the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Saturday. Defender Kyle Walker urged his team to use the pain of the defeat as motivation, emphasizing that they owe it to the fans to push on and accomplish their remaining goals this season. "We have worked too hard to let the season slip away now," Walker said. "We have got to use this as motivation to go and achieve something special."

Key Takeaways

• Man City was eliminated from the Champions League after a penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid.
• The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Rodrygo and De Bruyne scoring.
• Guardiola praised City's performance but acknowledged Madrid's penalty shootout superiority.
• The loss ended City's bid for a second consecutive treble, marking another European disappointment.
• Real Madrid advances to the Champions League semi-finals, while City focus shifts to FA Cup.