Real Madrid and Manchester City faced each other in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday night, and the Spanish side secured an impressive 3-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s men. The scoreline could have been much worse had Vinicius Jr. converted his penalty in the second half.
A hat-trick from Fede Valverde was enough for Arbeloa’s side to take a first-leg advantage. They still need to go to the Etihad and get the job done against City in their own backyard. However, despite trying not to get complacent, it must be said that Madrid will feel confident about having this tie in their bag.
Ahead of the game, no one really gave Los Blancos a chance. Madrid had been struggling to pick up wins in the league, managing just one in their previous three matches, while City have been one of the best attacking units in the Premier League this season. However, that is not how things unfolded on the night.
Now, as per Mundo Deportivo, Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has spoken about the underdog narrative after the game. Here is what he said:
“We played a great match. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of noise because of the way we had been playing. Many people expected us to get thrashed, but we showed great mentality. This competition means a lot to this club. We executed our plan perfectly.”
He also acknowledged why he agreed with the view that City might have been the favourites. He continued:
“Many people said they were the favorites, and considering the way we had been playing, that might have been true. But this is the Champions League, and anyone can win. At this club, there are no excuses — you have to win. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is.”
Trent, like many other players in the Madrid team, had a very good game against the Citizens. While he may not have been as influential as usual going forward, the Englishman did very well to cover his flank despite coming up against the tricky Doku.
It is often said that, irrespective of how Madrid play in the league, they are a different beast when it comes to the Champions League. Wednesday night was a reminder of why, if anyone wanted to write off this team, they would do so at their own peril. It is now important for Madrid to sustain this form.
It remains to be seen how things play out in the second leg at the Etihad, and whether Madrid can secure a berth in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by protecting their lead.
