Mbappé’s Hat-Trick Sinks Manchester City and Sends Real Madrid Through
French star Kylian Mbappé delivered a masterclass for Real Madrid, firing them into the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 with a stunning hat-trick against Manchester City in the second leg of the playoff, sealing a 3-1 victory. This result, combined with Madrid’s 3-2 win in the first leg, secured their progression.
At the Santiago Bernabéu, Mbappé found the net in the 4th, 33rd, and 61st minutes, while Spaniard Nico González grabbed a late consolation goal for City in stoppage time (92’).
Real Madrid will now face either Atlético Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16, with the draw set to take place on Friday.
City boss Pep Guardiola made five changes from the first leg, handing Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush a start after his impressive hat-trick against Newcastle over the weekend. Meanwhile, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland was left on the bench due to a minor knee issue, and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne also started as a substitute.
Madrid wasted no time making their mark, as Mbappé latched onto a long ball just four minutes in and coolly chipped it over Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson.
The Frenchman doubled the lead after a slick one-two between Brazilians Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, dribbling past Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol before slotting home (33’).
Mbappé completed his hat-trick in the 61st minute, collecting the ball at the edge of the box, weaving past a defender, and drilling a precise left-footed shot beyond Ederson’s reach. It was his seventh goal in this season’s Champions League and his 28th across all competitions.
City managed a late response when Marmoush’s free kick rattled the crossbar, allowing González to tap in the rebound (92’).
PSG’s Dominant Victory
At the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain ran riot against fellow French side Brest, thrashing them 7-0 to cruise into the Round of 16 after a 3-0 first-leg triumph.
Bradley Barcola (20’), Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (39’), Portuguese midfielder Vitinha (59’), Désiré Doué (64’), Portuguese full-back Nuno Mendes (69’), his compatriot Gonçalo Ramos (76’), and Senny Mayulu (86’) all found the net in a ruthless PSG display.
The Parisian giants will now meet either Liverpool or Barcelona in the next round.
With this emphatic win, PSG extended their unbeaten run to 19 consecutive matches across all competitions, boasting 15 victories and four draws. They also maintained their long-standing dominance over Brest, remaining unbeaten against them since January 1985 (1-3) and securing their 18th win in their last 19 meetings.
Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the next round after a goalless draw at home against Sporting Lisbon, comfortably progressing thanks to their 3-0 first-leg win. The German side will now take on either Lille or Aston Villa in the Round of 16.
The biggest talking point of the match was Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy’s missed penalty. Despite the miss, Guirassy remains the Champions League’s top scorer this season with 11 goals.
Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven joined fellow Dutch side Feyenoord—who eliminated AC Milan on Tuesday—by knocking out another Italian powerhouse, Juventus, with a dramatic 3-1 extra-time victory (2-1 in normal time). PSV had lost the first leg 2-1 in Turin but turned the tie around in front of their home crowd.
Veteran Croatian winger Ivan Perišić (53’), Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari (74’), and Ryan Flamingo (98’) struck for PSV, while American winger Timothy Weah (63’) scored Juventus’ only goal.
PSV will now face either Arsenal or Inter Milan in the next round.
