Mbappe eliminates Man City from the Champions League with hat-trick

Real Madrid easily beat Manchester City 3-1 with a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick on Wednesday in their Champions League playoff second leg. The win at the Santiago Bernabeu earned Madrid a 6-3 aggregate victory and a place in the last 16. The 2024 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. “It was a perfect night,” Mbappe said. “It’s only logical that Real Madrid advance to the last 16 of the Champions League. We are very strong at home and it’s great to give joy to our fans.” After a breathtaking first leg packed with goals and individual brilliance from both sides at the Etihad Stadium, the return game was thoroughly one-sided. 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 and never looked under threat with the hapless visitors lucky not to lose by a larger margin. Mbappe opened the scoring with Real’s first attack in the fourth minute, taking advantage of another massive blunder by City’s defence when captain Ruben Dias missed his header and left the French forward free to lob over the onrushing Ederson. Things went from bad to worse for the English team 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. READ ALSO: Kwara United pummels Young talent FC 5-0 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.

Champions League: Arsenal Return With A Bang, Madrid Win; Man United Lose

Arsenal made a triumphant return to the Champions League, securing a resounding 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium in their first campaign in six years. The Gunners displayed an electrifying first-half performance, storming to a 3-0 lead on a rainy night in north London. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring after eight minutes, capitalizing on a rebound when PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez could only parry Martin Odegaard’s shot into the path of the England winger. Saka played a crucial role again, setting up Leandro Trossard’s goal to double Arsenal’s lead 12 minutes later after Gabriel Jesus broke clear. Jesus continued his impressive performance, adding Arsenal’s third seven minutes before half-time with a powerful rising shot that left Benitez with no chance. In the second half, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made several changes with an eye on Sunday’s derby against in-form Tottenham, but his team maintained complete control. Odegaard sealed the victory with a powerful 20-yard strike, making it 4-0 with 20 minutes remaining. In another Champions League match, Manchester United faced a tough challenge against Bayern Munich, with Harry Kane playing a pivotal role in his new team’s 4-3 victory. Kane contributed an assist and scored from the penalty spot, bringing his goal tally this season to five in all competitions. United’s Rasmus Hojland scored his first goal for the club early in the second half, giving them a glimmer of hope at 2-1. However, an error by goalkeeper Andre Onana allowed Leroy Sane’s shot to slip under him in the 28th minute, giving Bayern a 1-0 lead. Four minutes later, Serge Gnabry scored a precise low shot to make it 2-0. United made an effort to mount a comeback, but injuries and a lack of options from the bench hampered their ability to compete. Casemiro managed to score a second goal for United, providing a glimmer of hope, but Mathys Tel’s late strike for Bayern sealed the 4-2 victory. In another Champions League match of the night, Jude Bellingham secured a late 1-0 victory for Real Madrid with an injury-time tap-in against Union Berlin at the Santiago Bernabeu. This marked Bellingham’s sixth goal in six matches since joining Real Madrid this summer. Federico Valverde’s 94th-minute shot deflected into Bellingham’s path, allowing him to tap into an empty net. Union Berlin, making their Champions League debut, were unable to respond in the final minute, as Real Madrid claimed the late win.

Benzema bids farewell to Real Madrid, moves to Saudi

FIFA Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema, on Tuesday said goodbye to Real Madrid in a small, private ceremony closed to fans and media, after spending 14 years at the LaLiga club, loaded with trophies. The 35-year-old French striker is leaving as a free agent in the close of t season and is set to move to Saudi Arabian side, Al Ittihad, after signing a two-year deal estimated by media reports to be worth more than US$106.93 million. There were no tears in the ceremony that lasted less than 20 minutes and in which only players, family and close friends were allowed to attend. “I will never forget Real Madrid. It’s impossible; it’s the best club in history. But I think today is the time to leave and to get to know another story,” Benzema told the small audience at Real’s training facilities. “It’s difficult to talk with so many feelings, but I wanted to thank Real Madrid and my team mates. It was a good path in my life. I have been lucky enough to fulfill my childhood dream.” Having joined Real Madrid FC in 2009 from Olympique Lyonnais, Benzema became the spearhead of the club’s attack and their main goal-scoring threat after Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018. Benzema scored 354 goals for Real to sit second on the club’s all-time scoring list behind Ronaldo. He had his best season in the 2021-22 campaign when he scored 44 times in all competitions to lead the side to a record-extending 14th European title as well as the LaLiga crown. His pivotal role earned him the Ballon d’Or award, making him the first French player to win the trophy since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and the fifth Frenchman overall. Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, praised Benzema for all he had done at the club. “Karim, you have been an example of behaviour and professionalism in our club,” Perez said. “You have earned the right to decide your destiny. A future that only belongs to you and we must respect it.”