Manchester City’s European dominance came to a crashing halt as Kylian Mbappé’s stunning hat-trick sealed a ruthless 3-1 victory for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, sending Pep Guardiola’s side out of the Champions League with a 6-3 aggregate defeat.
City’s travelling supporters, resigned to their fate, resorted to ironic cheers as their team, once feared across Europe, was dismantled with ease.
Mbappé set the tone within four minutes, lobbing Manchester City's Ederson to open the scoring.
He also added a second before half-time, with clinical precision in the 33rd minute, sitting down Gvardiol.
His third, a low drive just after the hour mark, confirmed City’s demise.
Guardiola, who has led City to six Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph, admitted the painful reality:
"The best team won. They deserved it. Nothing is eternal."
Despite injuries to key players like Erling Haaland and John Stones, City's decline was undeniable.
Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, once central to their success, were peripheral figures, while younger replacements struggled under Madrid’s relentless pressure.
With their earliest Champions League exit since 2013, City now face an urgent rebuild.
The question remains: can Guardiola forge a new era, or was this the final chapter of his dominant reign?
For Real Madrid, they will face either local rivals Atletico Madrid or German Bundesliga Champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16.
The full draw will take place on 21st Feb.
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