Kylian Mbappé delivered his finest performance yet in a Real Madrid jersey on Wednesday, netting a spectacular hat-trick to lead Los Blancos to a 3-1 victory (6-3 on aggregate) over Manchester City and secure their place in the Champions League round of 16.
The French sensation was in unstoppable form, showcasing his brilliance with a delicate lob, a dazzling solo effort, and a powerful left-footed strike. His performance emphatically signaled the end of his slow start in Madrid.
“It’s incredible. You go into games knowing he’s going to make an impact,” teammate Jude Bellingham told TNT Sports. “When Kylian gets the ball in his favorite areas, he’s always a threat. Right foot, left foot – today we saw the variety in his goals.”
“It’s truly remarkable, really, what he’s achieved in his career. I know he had a slow start and was adjusting to life here, but now he’s absolutely soaring, and it’s a joy to watch,” said a teammate.
Holding a 3-2 aggregate lead after the first leg in Manchester, Real Madrid wasted no time extending their advantage at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Just four minutes in, the 26-year-old Mbappé opened the scoring by latching onto a long ball from Raúl Asencio and expertly chipping his shot over the advancing City goalkeeper, Ederson.
Any hopes of a Manchester City comeback were dashed shortly after the half-hour mark. A slick passing sequence involving Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Jr., and Rodrygo set up Mbappé, who danced past Joško Gvardiol and calmly slotted the ball into the net.
Mbappé completed his hat-trick in the 61st minute, cutting inside Phil Foden and unleashing a fierce left-footed strike that nestled into the far corner. This marked his third Champions League hat-trick and his first for Real Madrid in the competition.
“Fantastic player,” manager Carlo Ancelotti told TNT Sports. “We have immense quality up front – Vinícius, Rodrygo, Bellingham. When they connect and play together, we become incredibly dangerous. That’s exactly what happened in these two matches.”
Despite a late consolation goal from Manchester City’s Nico González, Real Madrid – the reigning champions of the competition – remain firmly in contention for a record-extending 16th title.
The emotions of the Real Madrid players stood in stark contrast to those of their City counterparts. The 2022-23 European champions are now struggling, marking their earliest exit from the tournament since 2012. This also represents the first time manager Pep Guardiola has been eliminated before the round of 16 in his career.
“They’re a fantastic team,” Guardiola said of Madrid in an interview with TNT Sports. “We congratulate them; they deserve to advance. We didn’t deserve it. This is the first year we haven’t had a strong Champions League campaign.
“We have to accept that, this season, we weren’t close enough to compete at that level. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Adding to their woes, star players Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne were left on the bench on Wednesday due to fitness concerns, while defender John Stones was forced off early with an injury. Manchester City now faces a crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in other Champions League action, PSV secured an extra-time winner to defeat Juventus 4-3 on aggregate, PSG dominated Brest with a 7-0 victory (10-0 over both legs), and Borussia Dortmund advanced after a goalless draw with Sporting CP, sealing a 3-0 aggregate win.
The teams advancing from the playoff stage also included Feyenoord, Benfica, Club Brugge, and Bayern Munich, who all progressed on Tuesday.
Eight teams had already secured direct qualification from the league stage: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa.
Real Madrid will now face either city rivals Atlético Madrid or German champions Bayer Leverkusen, managed by former Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso. The round of 16 draw will take place on Friday.
