Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick as Erling Haaland was dropped to the bench for Manchester City’s Champions League playoff second-leg loss to Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Haaland — who didn’t even participate in warmups ahead of the game, looked on at the Bernabeu — as Madrid eased past City and advanced into the round of 16 of the competition.
City were in need of firepower in attack as they looked to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg. However, manager Pep Guardiola opted to leave club top scorer Haaland, who has made only five substitute appearances in his City career, on the bench.
It did not go well for the Premier League’s four-time defending champions as Mbappé tormented their backline all night and Guardiola’s side failed to mount any kind of significant attack at the other end of the field.
ESPN reports that Haaland scored against Madrid for the first time in their previous meeting — with two sides having met in the Champions League knockout stages in each of the past three years.
The Norway international has eight goals in nine games in the Champions League season, the third-best mark in the competition.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
