Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Manchester City won 2-1 against Real Madrid. The hosts took the lead in the 28th minute when Rodrygo scored, assisted by Jude Bellingham, capitalising on a strong spell of possession that reflected Real Madrid’s recent mixed form with wins against Olympiacos and Juventus but a loss to Liverpool. Manchester City responded quickly, equalising through Nico O’Reilly in the 35th minute with an assist from Josko Gvardiol, before Erling Haaland converted a penalty in the 43rd minute to put them ahead, following a VAR check that confirmed the decision.

The second half saw both sides make changes, with Real Madrid bringing on Arda Güler for Gonzalo García at 58 minutes and Brahim Díaz for Dani Ceballos at 67 minutes, while Manchester City substituted Omar Marmoush for Erling Haaland and Tijjani Reijnders for Phil Foden at 70 minutes. Despite late pressure from Real Madrid, including a substitution of Endrick for Raúl Asencio at 79 minutes, Manchester City held firm, aided by their recent form that included wins over Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal but a loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Yellow cards accumulated on both sides, with notable bookings for Antonio Rüdiger early on and late ones for Rodrygo and Álvaro Carreras, while City’s discipline issues included cards for Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly, helping them secure the points in a tightly contested match.

Real Madrid edged possession with 52% compared to Manchester City’s 48%, suggesting they controlled more of the ball overall, but City’s higher successful dribbles at 62 against 44 indicated greater effectiveness in breaking through defensively and creating opportunities on the counter. Corners were even at three each, pointing to balanced set-piece threats, while both teams picked up three yellow cards apiece, reflecting a feisty encounter without any reds to shift the balance dramatically.

Substitutions saw Real Madrid use three, with Arda Güler replacing Gonzalo García at 58 minutes, Brahim Díaz coming on for Dani Ceballos at 67 minutes, and Endrick taking over from Raúl Asencio at 79 minutes, potentially aiming to inject fresh energy late on. Manchester City utilised four, including Omar Marmoush for Erling Haaland and Tijjani Reijnders for Phil Foden at 70 minutes, Savinho for Rayan Cherki at 71 minutes, and Nathan Aké for Jérémy Doku at 87 minutes, which helped maintain their defensive solidity. Real Madrid recorded one assist, aligning with their goal, and City converted one penalty, underlining their clinical edge in key moments without additional injury-time goals on either side.

The match turned on a flurry of first-half goals, starting with Rodrygo’s 28th-minute strike for Real Madrid, assisted by Jude Bellingham, which gave them the lead after an early VAR review involving Vinicius Junior at three minutes. Manchester City hit back in the 35th minute when Nico O’Reilly scored, assisted by Josko Gvardiol, before Erling Haaland’s penalty in the 43rd minute—confirmed by VAR at 42 minutes—put them ahead, a decisive moment that shifted momentum despite Antonio Rüdiger’s yellow card in the same minute for Real Madrid.

Substitutions influenced the second half, with Arda Güler replacing Gonzalo García at 58 minutes and Brahim Díaz coming on for Dani Ceballos at 67 minutes for Real Madrid, while City’s changes included Omar Marmoush for Erling Haaland at 70 minutes. Late yellow cards added tension, such as Rodrygo’s at 87 minutes and Álvaro Carreras’ at 88 minutes for the hosts, alongside City’s bookings for Nico O’Reilly at 76 minutes and Bernardo Silva at 90 minutes, but these did not lead to further goals or reds.

Real Madrid lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Jude Bellingham providing key creativity in midfield to support forwards like Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, while Antonio Rüdiger anchored the defence amid partnerships tested by yellow cards and substitutions such as Arda Güler replacing Gonzalo García.

Manchester City deployed a 4-3-3 shape, relying on Erling Haaland’s finishing up front alongside wing threats like Jérémy Doku, with Josko Gvardiol contributing from the back and midfielders such as Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly driving play before changes like Tijjani Reijnders replacing Phil Foden.

Rodrygo earned Bwin’s Man of the Match award for his standout performance, scoring one goal and creating two big chances alongside five key passes, which highlighted his influence in Real Madrid’s attack despite the defeat.

Recent Champions League matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Manchester City (H)
• Win: 4-3 vs Olympiacos F.C. (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Liverpool (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Juventus (H)
• Win: 5-0 vs Kairat (A)

Recent Champions League matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Real Madrid (A)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen (H)
• Win: 4-1 vs Borussia Dortmund (H)
• Win: 2-0 vs Villarreal (A)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Monaco (A)

Real Madrid have just suffered a 1-2 home loss to Manchester City, leaving them in seventh place on 12 points after a recent form that includes a 4-3 win over Olympiacos but defeats to Liverpool and now City. They will look to bounce back in their next match against Deportivo Alavés on 2025-12-14 at 20:00, where picking up points could help them climb towards European spots given their position.

Manchester City have just secured a 2-1 away win over Real Madrid, placing them fourth on 13 points following recent results like a loss to Bayer Leverkusen but victories against Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. Their next fixture is against Crystal Palace on 2025-12-14 at 14:00, offering a chance to build momentum and solidify their standing in the top spots.

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