The ongoing rivalry in the stands and on the field, stemming from multiple encounters between Manchester City and Real Madrid in recent Champions League seasons, was further ignited by the Ballon d’Or selection for the world’s best player last year.

City’s Rodri narrowly edged out Real’s Vinicius Junior at the end of October, prompting the “merenges” to boycott the award ceremony in protest.

The continuation of this “duel” was evident two nights ago when City supporters displayed a gigantic banner featuring Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or trophy, accompanied by a message to Vinicius not to shed tears, echoing the lyrics from the popular song by the band “Oasis” – “Stop crying your heart out”.

Vinicius remarked after the match that the banner served as additional motivation, helping him contribute to Real’s impressive 3:2 victory, allowing Carlo Ancelotti’s team to eliminate a key rival for the second consecutive season.

– I noticed the banner. Anytime opposing fans do something like that, it boosts my determination to perform well, and that’s exactly what I did tonight – Vinicius stated.

– They are aware of our history and all we have accomplished in this competition. This marks our fifth visit here; it’s always cold, but we prevailed this time, and we must continue onward.

Vinicius turned the tide with two assists in the finale, further extending a bleak streak for Pep Guardiola, the City coach, who is now experiencing his 38th defeat in 12 matches this season, matching his personal record for losses set during the full 2019/2020 season.

300

Real Madrid has claimed the Champions League title significantly more times than any other club. The Royal Club achieved 498 wins in 300 matches. Bayern Munich follows with 241 wins, Barcelona with 209, and Manchester United with 161…

Real is the only club to have successfully defeated all of Pep’s teams on their home ground – including Barcelona (2-1) and Bayern Munich (4-0).

– A fantastic victory that boosts our confidence ahead of the upcoming second leg on our turf. While we may have lacked some balance, the players’ commitment was exceptional, showcasing their skills, class, and expertise. We created numerous scoring opportunities and overcame the challenges. The back four had never played together before, not even in practice – said coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The “Royal Club” fielded only one genuine goalkeeper (City had five), yet Real managed a better defensive display! Ancelotti’s squad launched 20 shots toward the opposing goal, marking the highest number ever against Guardiola’s side at the “Etihad”.

– We all share the blame, especially myself. The team lacks the stability we had in prior seasons – Guardiola admitted.

He also acknowledged the visiting team’s performance.

– Real generated an unparalleled number of chances on our field, something no other team has achieved against us. This season, Real was superior. We secured a favorable result initially, but then we let it slip away. However, Real is an extraordinary team, not typical at all.

This was Guardiola’s first loss to Real Madrid in regular time, having previously lost once during extra time and once in penalties. City had enjoyed victories in four earlier encounters in regular time under Pep.

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