MADRID: Real Madrid easily beat Manchester City 3-1 with a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick in their Champions League playoff second leg in the Estadio Bernabeu, earning a 6-3 aggregate victory and a place in the last 16.

Last year’s champions will face either Bayer Leverkusen or city rivals Atletico Madrid, depending on Friday’s draw, as they seek a record-extending 16th title.

It was the first time in City coach Pep Guardiola’s illustrious career that one of his teams in the Champions League had failed to reach the round of 16.

Real did not have to work too hard to subdue their sorry rivals who failed to manage a shot on target in the first half, looking a shadow of Guardiola’s dominant force from past years.

Already 3-2 down from the first game, City’s task became even harder an hour before kick-off when they announced a starting 11 without leading striker Erling Haaland, who suffered a knee injury at the weekend.

Real took full control of proceedings from the off with Mbappe opening the scoring in the fourth minute, after City captain Ruben Dias missed a header and left the French forward free to lob over the onrushing Ederson.

Things went from bad to worse for City after defender John Stones went down two minutes later with an injury, forcing Guardiola to bring Nathan Ake off the bench and burn a substitution early.

Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham toyed with City’s complacent defence, keeping the ball on the deck and creating several chances until Mbappe scored again in the 33rd minute with a close-range strike after a humiliating cutback that left defender Josko Gvardiol on the floor.

Real came out just as strong after the break and Mbappe scored his third in the 61st minute with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box just inside Ederson’s right post.

The hosts kept piling on the pressure and wasting chances, with Ederson making fine saves to deny Mbappe and Rodrygo, but towards the end they took their foot off the gas with a easy win in the bag.

City did score a compensation goal at the death, Nico Gonzalez converting a rebound after Omar Marmoush’s free kick bounced off the crossbar but it did little to tarnish a fantastic night for the Spaniards.

It was Real and City’s fifth clash in the Champions League knockout phase in six seasons and the second consecutive year that Carlo Ancelotti’s side eliminated Guardiola’s team.

In the previous three seasons, the team that came out on top from their new-era European classic ended up winning the title, Real in 2022 and 2024, and City in 2023.

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