Ten-man Manchester City bowed out of the Champions League despite a battling display against Real Madrid, for whom Vinicius Junior bagged a brace.
Bernardo Silva’s first career red card midway through the first half turned Man City’s task of overturning a three-goal deficit from mountainous to insurmountable, Madrid triumphing on the night at the Etihad Stadium and on aggregate.
The result ends City’s already fading quadruple dream and sends Madrid into their sixth straight Champions League quarter-final.
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A frantic opening saw both goalkeepers called into action, Gianluigi Donnarumma denying Madrid’s first-half hat-trick hero Fede Valverde then Thibaut Courtois keeping out both Rayan Cherki and Rodri.
But City’s hopes of an historic fightback were shattered less than a quarter of the way into the game, Silva conceding a penalty and being given his marching orders – after a VAR check – for blocking Vinicius’ goal-bound effort with his elbow.
Having had his penalty saved by Donnarumma in the first leg, Vinicius sent the Italian the wrong way to all but seal the 15-time European champions’ passage to the last eight.
Madrid’s No7 will have been disappointed not to make it 2-0 soon after, meeting Arda Guler’s cross first time but sweeping just wide.
Erling Haaland – who didn’t manage a single shot in the first leg – gave City the smallest sliver of hope shortly before half-time, ending his four-match goal drought by tapping in from Jeremy Doku’s deflected goal across goal following a short corner.
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Madrid were forced into a change at half-time, the injured Courtois making way for Andriy Lunin.
Lunin twice denied Haaland before Pep Guardiola, seemingly accepting City’s fate, opted to substitute his star striker ahead of Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Arsenal.
With the visitors well on their way to the next round, Alvaro Arbeloa took the opportunity to reintroduce Kylian Mbappe following a five-game injury absence, but Madrid weren’t going to need any brilliance from the Frenchman tonight.
Vinicius ensured Madrid were victorious on the night deep into stoppage time with a first-time finish from Aurelein Tchouameni’s inch-perfect cross, moments after having a goal ruled out for offside.
For City, the damage was done in the first leg, when Valverde’s first-half hat-trick had Madrid well on their way just a quarter of the way through the tie.
Guardiola’s side have now been knocked out of Europe by the Spanish giants in four of the last five years.
Having dropped more points in the Premier League title race at the weekend, their best chances of ending the season with silverware come in the EFL Cup and FA Cup.
Madrid stay on course for a record-extending 16th Champions League crown and will face the winners of Bayern Munich vs Atalanta in the quarter-finals – Bayern hold a 6-1 lead from the first leg.
Man of the Match: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Not that he needed to, but Vinicius made absolutely sure of Madrid’s progress with his third brace of the campaign in all competitions.
The Brazilian had seven shots worth 2.56 expected goals (xG) overall, hitting the target with three of them.
Two-time Champions League winner Vinicius moves to five goals in the competition this term and 34 in his career – Neymar is the only Brazilian with more Champions League goals to his name (43).
