Manchester City’s failure to conquer the real kings of Europe raises a huge Pep Guardiola question

Adios to Manchester City , perhaps forever to Pep Guardiola ’s Manchester City in the Champions League . If this was the end for a man defined by both this competition and his Barcelona past, it was a sadly fitting exit. For the third year in a row, for the fourth season in five, Real Madrid have knocked City out. This has almost become part of City’s spring; a part Guardiola may not miss.

This was the brutality and the brilliance of the Champions League knockout stages . City made an epic effort even if, in the final reckoning, they never came close to completing the greatest of comebacks. It was compelling to the last, but decided in 23 minutes before the break in Madrid. City lost over 90 minutes, as they did over 180, beaten by Fede Valverde’s treble in the Bernabeu and Vinicius Jr’s brace in Manchester.

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Vinicius Jr (left) scored twice for Real Madrid (AP)

With a blend of inspiration and desperation, City had mounted a ferocious assault; they lacked nothing in bravery, energy or personality. They had two essential problems: they were 3-0 down after last week in the Bernabeu, a man and a goal down a quarter of the way into the second leg.

City did their best to prove their captain wrong. Bernardo Silva had said that, if City conceded, the tie was over. When they did concede, it was over for him, curtailed by his first red card in his time at the Etihad Stadium. Vinicius Jr converted the resulting penalty. And yet City were indefatigable thereafter: Jeremy Doku was irrepressible, Erling Haaland relentless even when out of sorts, Rayan Cherki offered flair and finesse. The roadrunner Abdudokir Khusanov was magnificent. His powers of recovery were extraordinary.

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(REUTERS)

Yet over two midweeks, Real’s big players delivered: Valverde’s first-leg hat-trick, Thibaut Courtois ’ first-half saves, Vinicius’ second-leg double. A fit-again Kylian Mbappe had a cameo, but when Real were all but assured of a quarter-final against, almost certainly, Bayern Munich.

For that, they could thank Valverde, who could almost added to his treble in Madrid with a first-minute opener, and Vinicius. Taunted by the City fans with a chant of “where’s your Ballon d’Or?” – on Rodri’s mantelpiece, perhaps – but he has the character to respond to setbacks. The man who missed a penalty last week scored one this, gaining revenge on Gianluigi Donnarumma in their duel from 12 yards, sending the Brazilian the wrong way.

It stemmed from his brilliance and came at a huge cost to Silva, often the scourge of Real. Vinicius made a devastating run, cutting in from the left to curl a shot against the post, rebounding back on to Donnarumma, in a move that ended with the Brazilian taking another shot that hit Silva’s arm on the goal-line. City were initially saved by an offside flag; when it was ruled Vinicius was onside, Silva was sent off. Referee Clement Turpin’s decision was simultaneously cruel and correct.

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Bernardo Silva was sent off for hand ball (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

A disgruntled Guardiola collected a caution for dissent and City have had their issues with officiating in previous Champions League exits; yet this was not a robbery by this particular Turpin as much as an evisceration by Vinicius.

Guardiola may have feared as much. He used to deploy Kyle Walker against Vinicius’ scintillating speed; last week in Madrid, he chose his fastest defender, Khusanov at right-back. Six days on, the Uzbekistani was moved into the middle to allow the more attack-minded Matheus Nunes to play full-back. The Portuguese could not contain Vinicius, who spurned two further golden chances before finally doubling his tally at the last.

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Vinicius Jr stroked home the opener from the penalty spot (REUTERS)

City had forsaken control for chaos from the start. They began in blistering fashion. They might have been behind in the first minute or two up after four: Courtois saved both shots, from Cherki and Rodri. They had two chances in swift succession in their spirited response to conceding: Courtois saved them both, too, thwarting Haaland on each occasion.

Yet no one let up. After a low cross from Doku was deflected off Trent Alexander-Arnold, Haaland scuffed in a shot. It was just his fifth goal in 19 games. Even when Courtois went off at half-time, presumably hurt from being overworked, his replacement carried on in the same vein. Andriy Lunin saved from Haaland.

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(Getty Images)

Guardiola tried everything: he went to a back three for the second half. He made two double substitutions. He took off Haaland. That the Norwegian, Rodri and Ruben Dias were spared the full game may have saved them for the Carabao Cup final, but City otherwise played like a team with no thought of anything except Real.

They had 22 shots. They might have won the game, if not the tie, but the offside pair of Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri had goals disallowed. Vinicius had one chalked off in injury time and then scored another, volleying in Aurelien Tchouameni’s cross.

So Real, the club Guardiola often describes as the kings of Europe, take their familiar place in the quarter-finals. And once again, it is at City’s expense.