Man City’s Win Over Real Madrid Sparks Hope, But Pep Warns the Job Isn’t Done
So, let’s talk about this fascinating Champions League storyline that’s been unfolding around Manchester City and Real Madrid. Yes, City walked into the Bernabeu and came out with a massive 2-1 comeback win, and yes, the result pushed them up to fourth place in the league-phase standings. But even with the momentum, Pep Guardiola isn’t letting anyone get carried away. In fact, he’s doing the exact opposite.
After the match, Pep made it clear that, despite beating Real Madrid on their own turf, his team is still “far away” from being ready to win the Champions League this season. It was said almost as a gentle reminder that football doesn’t reward early hype. According to him, the squad will be better by February, but right now he believes there are still big margins to improve. And honestly, the way he said it felt like a man who has seen enough European heartbreaks to know better than to celebrate too early.
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Still, the win itself was huge. Only their second ever at the Bernabeu, achieved with several players experiencing that iconic stadium for the first time. Pep praised their fight, describing the effort as “incredible,” especially considering the chaos Real Madrid can unleash with players like Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr., and Bellingham breaking lines at full speed. He admitted City couldn’t defend high or control the game the way they usually like to, but overall, he seemed honestly impressed with how committed the group had been.
Erling Haaland shared that same sense of relief more than anything else. He talked about how messy and transition-heavy the match felt, and how City could have scored a couple more if chances had gone their way. But he didn’t hide the reality either — dropping points after the earlier loss to Leverkusen would have made things look very different. For him, this win was not just important, but necessary.
On the Real Madrid side, the story is very different. Xabi Alonso is under growing pressure, with only two wins in their last eight matches. Injuries aren’t helping either, especially with Mbappé missing training and possibly the City game altogether. Jude Bellingham stepped up in front of the cameras to defend his manager, insisting that the squad is fully behind Alonso and that the poor run hasn’t broken their confidence. He admitted the team has struggled with moments where they fail to manage games properly and get punished, but he also said firmly that they have what they need to turn things around.
So here we are — City celebrating an important win but staying cautious, and Real facing questions they can’t avoid any longer. And with more league-phase games ahead, this matchup might only be the beginning of the story.
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