Manchester City secured a vital 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in their Champions League clash. Goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland overturned Rodrygo’s opener, giving City a significant boost in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
Manchester City secured a vital 2-1 comeback victory against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, placing them back within the top eight of the Champions League league phase.
Here is an evaluation of the starting XI, rated in order from goalkeeper to attackers.
Man City Player Ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6
He was left with minimal chance to stop the forceful, well-placed shot that resulted in Real Madrid’s opening goal. The Italian international faced relatively few saves overall but was poorly positioned on a late corner kick.
Matheus Nunes – 6
Began the match looking uneasy, particularly against Vinícius Júnior, and benefited from an early penalty shout being dismissed. Although he was sometimes bypassed on the flank, he showed good recovery speed and overall managed to stabilize his performance as the game progressed.
Ruben Dias – 7
The most effective player in the defensive unit. He must have felt relieved that Kylian Mbappé remained on the bench throughout the evening. Dias’s most telling contribution was a crucial, perfectly timed block against a late effort from Jude Bellingham.
Josko Gvardiol – 6
Was involved in a careless moment when he lost possession, which momentarily led to a controversial penalty appeal (later overturned). However, he gradually regained his composure and performed solidly for the rest of the match, including providing the assist for the equalizer.
Nico O’Reilly – 8
Despite possibly bearing some responsibility for allowing the space that led to Rodrygo’s goal, his overall display was outstanding. His determined runs down the left wing and disciplined defending were exceptional, earning him one of the highest scores of the night.
Nico Gonzalez – 7
Overcame a somewhat tentative opening period to decisively influence the match. His consistent and accurate passing was key to City establishing a controlling rhythm through the second half, effectively dictating the pace of the game.
Bernardo Silva – 6
A disappointing night by his own high standards. He was uncharacteristically sloppy in possession in the build-up to the non-penalty incident and was easily outmuscled by Carreras, which initiated the move for the home side’s goal.
Phil Foden – 6
Compared to his recent impactful form, the English international had a subdued performance. He struggled to find the spaces and moments of brilliance needed to genuinely affect the outcome of the high-stakes encounter.
Rayan Cherki – 8
After a quiet first half-hour, he became a major threat, notably delivering the corner that led directly to O’Reilly’s equalizing goal. He showcased moments of great skill and composure after the break, looking perfectly comfortable on this massive stage.
Jeremy Doku – 6
Managed to create several dangerous forward bursts and often had space to exploit. Unfortunately, his final pass and choices in the attacking third were poor, failing to capitalize on promising situations throughout the contest.
Erling Haaland – 7
Confidently dispatched his penalty kick and expertly drew the foul from Antonio Rudiger in the first place. Outside of the crucial goal, however, his influence was limited, and it was a notable, aggressive decision from the manager to substitute the star striker later in the game.