Spanish champions and 13 times record champions league winners, Real Madrid were a shadow of themselves as a more compact Manchester City showed them the exit door last night.
Pep Guardiola’s City boasted a 2-1 lead going into the second leg of their champions league round of 16 encounter against Madrid, leaving Zidane’s men with the job of overturning the deficit, a task people hoped would not be too much for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid registered a slow start to the game and that cost them a goal in the 9th minute when English youngster, Raheem Sterling picked the ball from an unfocused Raphael Varane to send home the night’s opener.
French forward, Karim Benzema rose to the occasion and struck in the 28 minute to cancel out Raheem Sterling’s early opener
Benzema’s goal was never going to be enough as an unimpressive Madrid struggled to replicate an inch the class they have shown in previous champions league campaigns, letting the Citizens find the back of the net again via a Gabriel Jesus goal in the 68th minute.
The devastating 2-1 (4-2 aggregate) defeat saw Frenchman Zinedine Zidane who has won 3 consecutive champions league titles with Real Madrid (as coach) get eliminated from the competition for the first time as a manager.
Both of the hosts’ goals resulted from uncharacteristic errors by French defender Varane, who without suspended skipper and center back partner, Sergio Ramos failed to protect his team.
A very remorseful Varane was quick to own his mistakes after the game and fans have extended some sympathy towards him.
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