Manchester City battling Madrid, history in 2nd leg: this is how many times Real Madrid have spoiled 3-0 lead in Champions League

The word supernatural doesn’t get tossed around in the world of soccer too often. That is until Real Madrid has an important Champions League match at the Bernabeu. Something unexplainable happens to the winningest club in competition history when they step into their stadium. It happened again against Manchester City, and now the Citizens have a near impossible task as they return to the Etihad next week.

Magic Madrid nights in Europe

Call it aura, call it energy, call it witchcraft if you want, but something magical fills the cathedral on the Castellana on European nights, and Wednesday was just another day in the life of a Madridista. A team ravaged by injury, that has been dragged through the mud over the last few league matches, welcoming one of the most inform sides on the continent. Few, if any, gave Real Madrid a chance to win on their home soil, in front of their home fans as if we haven’t seen this script play out before.

What the script had not yet come up with is Fede Valverde disguising himself as Cristiano Ronaldo and putting three past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The captain of the club put Los Blancos on the scoresheet in the 19th minute courtesy of a Thibaut Courtois assists, his second of this Champions League campaign by the way. Twenty five minutes later, Madrid went into the dressing room up 3-0 after “El Halcon” tucked away two more for a first half hat trick.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side then locked down the fortress and iced out Erling Haaland and the rest of the City attackers to seal the 3-0 victory on another magical Madrid night. Now Pep Guardiola’s side have to do something that has never been done in European soccer history: beat Real Madrid after losing the first leg by three or more goals.

City battling the “impossible”

According to Spanish statistical mastermind, Mister Chip, Madrid have won 35 European first legs by three goals or more. They have advanced in each of those 35 ties, and they will be looking to make it number 36 in Manchester next week.

Guardiola is all too familiar with Real Madrid’s reputation in Europe, and knows coming back from a three goal defeat is tough, but doing it against Los Blancos doesn’t give his side a whole lot of options. When asked about how much of a chance City have in the return leg, City’s manager said, “Not many. We’ll try, but we know the chances are quite difficult. It’s hard to detach yourself from the result, but we’ll try with our fans behind us. We can do better.”

The Citizens return to England looking to stay on the heels of Arsenal in the title race in their weekend match against West Ham at the London Stadium. They will have to get past the relegation threatened Hammers before attempting a historic comeback at the Etihad next Tuesday.

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