Man City Eliminated as Mbappé Leads Real Madrid
The Champions League playoffs have concluded with several top teams advancing to the next round, including Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and PSV Eindhoven, setting the stage for an exciting round of 16.
Kylian Mbappé's hat-trick propelled Real Madrid to a 3-1 win over Manchester City, securing a 6-3 aggregate victory and eliminating the English team from the Champions League playoffs.
The match, played at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, saw Mbappé's three goals give Real Madrid a decisive advantage. Manchester City's Erling Haaland was injured and did not start the match, which may have impacted the team's performance. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his team's performance, calling it "almost the perfect night."
In other Champions League playoff matches, Paris Saint-Germain and PSV Eindhoven also advanced to the next round with convincing wins. Paris Saint-Germain defeated Brest 5-0, while PSV Eindhoven defeated Juventus 3-1. Borussia Dortmund secured a 3-0 lead against Sporting CP, which was unable to overcome the deficit despite a 0-0 draw.
The round of 16 draw will take place on Friday, with the top eight teams in the 36-team standings skipping the playoffs and being seeded in the draw. Real Madrid, with their win over Manchester City, has booked their spot in the last 16 and will be an unseeded team in the round of 16 draw.
