Kylian Mbappé’s devastating hat-trick crushed Manchester City, exposing Guardiola’s fading dynasty
Pep Guardiola asked his Manchester City side to scare Real Madrid, but by the end of a brutal night at the Santiago Bernabéu, it was they who looked haunted. Kylian Mbappé’s ruthless hat-trick ripped through the remnants of what was once a dominant force, exposing a team that no longer resembled the relentless machine of years past. City didn’t just lose 3-1 on the night, 6-2 on aggregate—they were dismantled, mocked, and left to drift in the ruins of their season.
It took just four minutes for Madrid to crush any illusion of a comeback. City passed the ball around as if they were in control, but the moment Los Blancos got possession, the inevitable unfolded. A long ball from youth product Raúl Asencio floated over City’s defence. Rúben Dias hesitated, John Stones failed to react, and Ederson found himself in no-man’s land. Mbappé simply lifted the ball over the stranded goalkeeper. The game was over before it had even begun.
The visitors barely registered as a threat. Josko Gvardiol managed City’s only attempt of the first half, a tame effort blocked by Aurélien Tchouaméni. They weren’t just second-best—they were invisible. Madrid toyed with them, knowing full well they didn’t need to overexert themselves. Each time they applied pressure, City cracked. Vinícius Júnior tormented Abdukodir Khusanov, Rodrygo ghosted past Ilkay Gündogan, and Mbappé continued to lurk, waiting for his next kill.
The second goal came as easily as the first. Vinícius slipped a ball to Rodrygo, who played a pass through Khusanov’s legs. Mbappé, already a step ahead, sidestepped Gvardiol and calmly slotted past Ederson. The Bernabéu roared. City were beyond salvation.
By the time Mbappé completed his hat-trick with a clean, low strike past Ederson, City had surrendered entirely. Madrid slowed down, coasting towards the final whistle while their fans enjoyed every moment. Olés rang out around the stadium, a chorus of mockery for a side that once struck fear into Europe.
The hat-trick of Mbappé had already sealed the fate of City when Nico González’s last-minute goal was met with ironic cheers—a meaningless footnote in a crushing defeat. Guardiola’s once-mighty City, the dominant force of the past decade, now looked like a fading relic. This wasn’t just a Champions League exit—it felt like the end of an era.
