Real Madrid secured their place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after Kylian Mbappe’s sensational hat-trick led them to a 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the second leg, completing a 6-3 aggregate win.
First Goal
The French star opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a brilliant finish after receiving a long ball from Raul Asencio. With City goalkeeper Ederson rushing off his line and defenders John Stones and Ruben Dias closing in, Mbappe remained composed and slotted the ball into the net.
A Dream Goal for Real Fans
Mbappe’s second goal was a moment to remember for Real fans, as their biggest stars combined beautifully. Jude Bellingham passed to Vinicius Junior, who found Rodrygo, and then Mbappe received the ball. He cut inside with a quick move, completely fooling Joško Gvardiol, who slid in for a tackle but was left rolling past him. With space created, Mbappe calmly finished to double Real’s lead. His hat-trick was completed with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box, leaving Ederson helpless.
City’s Late Consolation
Manchester City managed a late goal in injury time through Nico Gonzalez, but it had no impact on the outcome as Real had already sealed their qualification. Real had also won the first leg 3-2 at City’s home ground. Due to the new Champions League format, both teams had to play the playoffs after failing to make it into the top 8 directly, but Real Madrid made the most of their opportunity to advance.
