Real Madrid vs Manchester City live: Haaland penalty gives visitors Champions League win to pile pressure on Xabi Alonso | OneFootball

The win takes City to fourth in the league phase table (AFP via Getty Images)

An Erling Haaland penalty completed a dramatic first-half turnaround for Manchester City to give the visitors a win in their blockbuster Champions League clash with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Madrid started quickly at home, seeing an early penalty overturned before Vini Jr. missed a golden opportunity within the first 10 minutes, and Rodrygo opened the scoring with a brilliant goal just before the half-hour mark, the Brazilian dragging an accomplished finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

But the hosts weren't ahead for long, with City defender Nico O’Reilly getting his side an equaliser as he poked home from a rebound after Gvardiol’s header.

And things quickly got worse for Madrid, with a silly foul from Antonio Rudiger on Haaland giving City a penalty that the Norwegian duly dispatched.

Pinned

How Manchester City fightback sealed sweet Champions League revenge on Real Madrid

If this is to prove the last game Pep Guardiola manages at the Bernabeu, what a way to go. And if it ends up as Xabi Alonso’s final match in charge of Real Madrid, what a quick, undignified end.

Perhaps, then, it was fitting that an eight-minute meltdown brought Real a second successive home defeat. First Celta Vigo, now Manchester Cityhave triumphed at the Bernabeu. A team with a mere two victories in eight games represent a club with a culture of impatience.

But as Alonso was beaten by a mentor, Guardiola’s seventh win at the Bernabeu may have been his most unlikely, for all Real’s problems. City exited the Champions League in Madrid last season and revived their chances of a top-eight finish in the league phase this year; the damage done by defeat to Bayer Leverkusen was repaired in spectacular fashion.

How Manchester City fightback sealed sweet Champions League revenge on Real Madrid

Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City: An Erling Haaland penalty completed the turnaround for the visitors and put more pressure on under-fire Madrid boss Alonso

Read more

Chris Wilson10 December 2025 22:21

Pundits rally behind Alonso

Former Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate says that it would be a strange decision for the club to sack Alonso at this point.

“I just hope Xabi Alonso keeps his job. There is no point in hiring a young manager and giving him six months at the biggest club in the world. Zero point,” he explains.

“You may as well hire someone else who is older and a bit wiser. You have to stick with Alonso - you have to!

“You have brought him in from Bayer Leverkusen where he did an incredible Job.

“If they sack him, it will be a shocking decision. He just needs to be given time,” he added.

Chris Wilson10 December 2025 23:15

O'Reilly 'over the moon' with result

Goalscorer Nico O’Reilly has been speaking to TNT after the match. He says it’s "such a good feeling” to win here.

“To come here, what an atmosphere, what a stadium, so tough to come here but we got the three points and that's the most important thing.

"Very special - over the moon. This goal will be with me forever but we got the three points and that's the most important thing."

On his game time of late, he says: "I'm loving it, taking it all in my stride, every game as it comes. Working hard every session and I'm loving it.

"We know how good Real are, we've played them over the last few seasons and they're so good. It shows how well we're playing at the minute and our form. We'll have a good chance [to reach the final].

"First few minutes I was a bit slow, I could've stopped that first goal, but I made up for it I think,” he added as he finished.