Manchester City overturned an early deficit to beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League, increasing the pressure on Xabi Alonso.
Erling Haaland’s penalty in the 43rd minute sealed a first-half comeback for City at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Madrid, missing the injured Kylian Mbappé — who remained an unused substitute — struck first after an energetic start on Wednesday, with Rodrygo ending a 32-match goal drought by finishing sharply from a tight angle.
His breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute, not long after Madrid had been awarded a penalty that VAR later rescinded, as Matheus Nunes’ challenge on Vinicius Junior was judged to have occurred outside the area.
However, Madrid faded once Nico O’Reilly levelled the score with his first Champions League goal, tapping in from close range after Thibaut Courtois failed to hold Josko Gvardiol’s header.
City then completed the turnaround eight minutes later, with Haaland converting from the spot after Antonio Rüdiger dragged him down — a decision given following another VAR review.
Courtois produced an outstanding double save to keep Madrid within reach, but the hosts could not improve on their lone effort on target in a second half that saw Vinicius waste two big opportunities and Endrick strike the crossbar, as City climbed to fourth place in the group standings.
Data Debrief: Madrid miss Mbappé as City capitalise
Alonso is facing intense scrutiny, just six months into his tenure at Madrid, with speculation even suggesting this match could have been pivotal for his future if he failed to secure a win. Time will eventually reveal the outcome.
He will regret being unable to rely on Mbappé, and without the French star — who has contributed to eight goals in seven Champions League encounters against City — Madrid lacked conviction, despite creating numerous chances. They registered only one shot on target from 16 total attempts.
City, in contrast, produced eight shots on target from 12 attempts, tallying 2.58 expected goals (xG), though the penalty accounted for a sizeable portion of that figure.
Haaland has now scored 51 Champions League goals in the 50 matches he has started. His overall record stands at 55 goals in 54 appearances. The 25-year-old has also become just the third player to score in four or more consecutive Champions League away games for City, joining Sergio Agüero (seven in 2019) and Phil Foden (four in 2024).