Man City set unwanted record in Champions League collapse to Real Madrid

Manchester City failed to build on a 2-1 lead at the Etihad stadium on Tuesday night as Real Madrid scored two late goals to take all winnings ahead of the second leg.

Erling Haaland struck on either side of Kylian Mbappe’s 60th-minute equaliser to twice fire City in front. The defending Premier League champions were 2-1 up at the Etihad with less than five minutes of normal time remaining before former City player Brahim Diaz swept the visitors level.

With game edging closer to it’s end, Jude Bellingham completed yet another Real comeback (and another City collapse) with a 92nd-minute winner.

This latest setback means City have now lost five different matches which they have led across all competitions this season – the same tally which they recorded across the previous four campaigns combined.

Erling Haaland of Manchester City looks dejected after Brahim Diaz of Real Madrid (not pictured) scores his team’s second goal. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Speaking after the match, City manager Pep Guardiola admitted that he “can’t find a solution” to his side’s repeated failure to defend a lead.

As Guardiola fretted to Movistar post-game: “It’s happened many times, if something happens many times it’s because I can’t find a solution.

“It’s been the year that Madrid have been better, we had a good result in the last few minutes and we let it go. We got the penalty, but the game was pretty even, they had chances like never before here at the Etihad.”

Real Madrid racked up a staggering 20 shots – the most any visiting team has ever recorded at the Etihad during Guardiola’s eight-and-a-half-year tenure, per Opta.

“They were better with the ball, we were a bit anxious,” Guardiola continued. “These are things that have happened to us many times during the year. We will try, it is hard mentally, we have tough games left and we will travel to Madrid, we will try to adjust to have a bit more play and get through.”

It’s all to play for in the return leg match in Spain. City need to win by at least two clear goals – or get the better of Madrid in a penalty shootout after winning by a one-goal margin – in the second leg which will be held at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, 19 February.