Football writer Alex Keble reports on the Matchday 6 action for Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League.
Automatic qualification beckons for Man City after statement win
Real Madrid 1-2 Man City
A frenzy of attacking and counter-attacking football at the Bernabeu could have seen plenty more than three goals scored, but in the end it was a familiar story of recent weeks for Manchester City: a superb attack just about outscoring a leaky defence.
Real took the lead in the 28th minute from a scything attack finished by Rodrygo, the wide-open Man City midfield typical of their tactical performance on the night and worth highlighting in this stark image from the build-up.
Playing Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden together as twin No 8s was a huge risk against such brilliant counter-attackers as Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, and so it proved.
But after endless twists and turns, Man City came out on top thanks to Nico O’Reilly’s 35th minute tap-in and an Erling Haaland penalty eight minutes later, scored after former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger needlessly wrestled the Norwegian to the ground, a sight to make Blues fans roll their eyes in recognition.
Haaland’s 51st goal in his 50th Champions League appearance – the most goals of anyone ever to play 50 games in the competition – leaves Man City on 13 points and needing just three more, at Bodo/Glimt or at home to Galatasaray, to qualify automatically.
Opta’s analysis of the league phase in 2024, simulating matches 50,000 times, found that in 98 per cent of instances, 16 points was enough for a top-eight finish.
Pep Guardiola’s side have presumably done enough, then, with a superb result in Madrid that piles the pressure on Xabi Alonso.
But questions can and should be asked of how open Man City have become; how easily teams are pouring through the middle, as Fulham and Leeds United did last week to score a combined six goals.
“It could be better,” Guardiola told TNT Sports after the game.
“Four, five, or six players played their first game here, so maybe we are not completely ready to play in the [stadiums] like this.
“But winning here – you have to be happy, especially in terms of points.”
See: Man City match report and line-up
Madueke’s lethal touch shows why he was well worth the money
Club Brugge 0-3 Arsenal
When Arsenal paid a reported £50million for Noni Madueke in the summer, eyebrows were raised, and not just because of the high fee. The winger managed just 14 goal contributions in 44 matches in all competitions for Chelsea last season, sometimes appearing to flatter to deceive.
But Mikel Arteta saw something in Madueke – and nights like tonight tell us what that was.
Madueke’s brilliant 25th-minute opener – a twist and a change of pace on the halfway line that floored a defender, followed by a 25-yard strike that went in off the bar – showed the surge of energy he can provide to break through stubborn defences like Club Brugge’s.
Arsenal drew 14 Premier League matches last season and often struggled against defensive teams who put men behind the ball. Club Brugge are of that type, as we saw in their 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in this competition last season.
Madueke’s brace (a second came in the 47th minute, killing the contest, before Gabriel Martinelli became the first Arsenal player ever to score in five consecutive matches in the 56th minute) is evidence of the new squad depth at Arteta’s disposal and of the value, no matter the monetary cost, of having creative dribblers like Madueke in the squad.
Arsenal are the just the second English side to win 10 consecutive group stage/league phase games in the UEFA Champions League, after Liverpool.
There will be tougher challenges ahead. But the confidence and swagger here, and the latest show of the creativity in their ranks, suggests Arsenal can go all the way – even with the defensive injuries that meant Christian Norgaard had to start in the backline this evening.
“Right now it is about managing the situations we have in the backline,” explained Arteta after the match.
“Some players were there, but could not play more than 45 or 30 minutes. To manage that has been tough.
“But with the attitude that the players have, I know that if I ask anyone to play there then they could do it, and they have done a great job.”
See: Arsenal match report and line-up
Gordon-inspired comeback not quite enough for valiant Newcastle
Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle United
With Leverkusen 1-0 up at half-time – and with a shaky visiting defence fortunate not to see Malick Thiaw sent off for something close to a last-man foul – Newcastle looked destined to lose this game.
It was a gutsy and valiant effort to come back in the second half. After Leverkusen’s 13th-minute opener, an own goal from Bruno Guimaraes, the game turned on its head when former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken brought down Nick Woltemade after being dispossessed in his own box.
Anthony Gordon scored the penalty six minutes into the second half, and then in the 74th minute, his superb cross was converted by youngster Lewis Miley. An era-defining victory beckoned, only for an 88th-minute strike from Alejandro Grimaldo to rescue a point for the hosts.
Gordon has now scored or assisted seven goals in the Champions League this season, equalling Alan Shearer’s single-season record in the competition for the Magpies.
But he would no doubt swap that record for a win, because without it Newcastle – on 10 points – need to beat both PSV Eindhoven at home and Paris Saint-Germain on the road to qualify automatically.
Mind you, on the evidence of a courageous and confident second-half performance tonight, a famous win in Paris isn’t out of the question.
“It was a tough game. I thought we played well, but it was tough for us,” Eddie Howe told TNT Sports.
“It leaves it in our hands, but we have two tough games to come. All we can do is focus back on to the Premier League, where we are in a decent vein of form.”