by They were the joint pre -season favorites, the two richest clubs in football, and in previous years, when Manchester City Real Madrid inevitably met, the UEFA Champions League put in its spurs. The winner, invariably for three consecutive seasons, wore the crown of the Champions League. And so it started to think, in 2025 they would definitely meet again.
But no soul expected that City and Madrid, the ruling champions of England and Spain, early, early in February, would meet in a play-in round.
The dream was a collision at the top, in Munich on 31 May; The hope was that another epic would baptize this new look Champions League.
Instead, City and Madrid brought it to life on Tuesday.
Madrid Zangleden city with a late comeback and won a hectic, fantastic first leg 3-2 in the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Jude Bellingham turned it off with a stop-time winner and sent the kings of Europe home with a clear lead.
Erling Haaland had put the city first in the 19th minute.
Kylian Mbappé, with a Swing-and-Mostly-Miss, was right in the hour.
Haaland converted a penalty with 10 minutes to go, against the game, to apparently give the city an advantage that goes to the south to Spain.
But Brahim Diaz, a former city player, equalized six minutes later.
Bellingham turned the game upside down in stopping time.
And the 90 minutes, in general, although full of warts and quirky finish, the hype lived.
The matchup, as Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said Monday: “Feels like one Clásico Now. ‘Twenty -four hours later, both teams, and especially his team, proven him right.
Other results of the Champions League
Elsewhere in the Champions League On Tuesday, PSG started the knockout rounds with a 3-0 stamping from fellow French club Brest.
In Italy, Weston McKennie scored a Banger and Juventus defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-1.
And in Portugal, Borussia Dortmund sprinted past Sporting CP, 3-0, to make their draw almost out of reach halfway.
The second legs are next Wednesday. And all eyes will be focused on the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, where City and Real Madrid will meet again.
