Manchester City’s Champions League campaign came to a tame conclusion at the Bernabeu as Kylian Mbappe’s brilliant hat-trick inspired holders Real Madrid to a comfortable victory to reach the last 16.
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Pep Guardiola’s side were attempting to reverse a 3-2 deficit from the play-off first leg, but this contest was effectively over after four minutes when Mbappe’s precise lob from Raul Asencio’s pass increased their advantage.
City, with Erling Haaland only fit enough to be on the bench, saw their plight worsen moments after Mbappe’s opener when they lost defender John Stones to injury.
And City’s earliest Champions League exit since they failed to get out of the group in 2012-13 edged closer when Mbappe showed brilliant close control to wrong-foot Josko Gvardiol before beating Ederson after 33 minutes.
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The France forward’s third came just after the hour with a low shot as City subsided, barely laying a glove on Real all night as they were outclassed.
City pulled a goal back when Nico Gonzalez turned in his first goal for the club after Omar Marmoush’s free-kick hit the bar, but it was no consolation on a desperate night for the reigning Premier Leaguechampions.
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It was a chastening experience for Guardiola, whose discomfort was particularly relished by Real’s fans because of his old Barcelona allegiances, as he faces a mammoth task to rebuild and restore City to Europe’s top table.
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