Manchester City secured a vital comeback victory against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, but captain Bernardo Silva picked up a yellow card that will see him miss the next game. The win, featuring goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland, propelled City to fourth in the group-phase standings. Silva's third caution triggers the suspension under UEFA rules.
Manchester City overcame an early deficit to defeat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, marking one of their most significant results in the UEFA Champions League this season. Rodrygo gave the hosts the lead, but City responded with Nico O’Reilly’s first-ever goal in the competition and a penalty converted by Erling Haaland, securing a 2-1 victory. This result boosted Manchester City to fourth place in the group-phase standings, strengthening their position for qualification to the Round of 16.
The match highlighted City's resilience under Pep Guardiola, especially after a 2-0 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen in their previous Champions League outing. Bernardo Silva, the team captain, received a yellow card during the win, accumulating his third caution of the league phase. According to UEFA rules, players are suspended for the next match after three yellow cards that do not result in a red card, with further suspensions on odd-numbered cautions thereafter. As a result, Silva will sit out City's upcoming encounter against Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
Yellow cards carry forward to subsequent stages until the quarter-finals. Both Nico O’Reilly and Savinho, who each have two cautions, risk suspension for the matchday eight home game against Galatasaray if booked against Bodo/Glimt.
In domestic action, City narrowed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to two points with a 3-0 win over Sunderland, where Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Phil Foden scored. Arsenal, meanwhile, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa but maintained their perfect Champions League record with a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge. City face Crystal Palace next in the Premier League, aiming for a fifth straight win across all competitions.
