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Man City player ratings vs Real Madrid: Haaland goes missing as two 4/10s handed out

![Real Madrid CF v Manchester City FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/1200x712/secondary/madrid-spain-erling-haaland-of-manchester-city-reacts-during-the-uefa-champions-league-2025-6795646.jpg?r=1773267210934)

Erling Haaland had a night to forget for Man City (Image: Getty)

Manchester City's Champions League aspirations were dashed for another year following a disastrous evening at the Bernabeu. Pep Guardiola selected an offensive line-up to challenge Real Madrid, but they were instead undone by a hat-trick from Fede Valverde in a remarkable first half.

Gianluigi Donnarumma conceded a penalty in the second half that could have sealed City's fate, but the goalkeeper managed to recover and save Vinicius's penalty kick. This provides City with a sliver of hope for the second leg, although they failed to capitalise on this by scoring any goals in Madrid.

A superb reflex save from Thibaut Courtois denied Nico O'Reilly a certain goal, leaving City with no further contributions. Here are the player ratings from a chastening night in Madrid.

**Donnarumma:** Could perhaps have performed better on at least one of the goals and conceded the penalty, but made a crucial save to keep City in the game. 5.

**Khusanov:** Started strongly against Vinicius but lost his footing and was unable to regain control of the match. 5.

**Dias:** Struggled to maintain order at the back, though he did attempt to drive them forward in the second half. 5.

**Guehi:** Arguably his most challenging night in a City jersey, struggled to maintain his performance and was outplayed by Valverde for a goal. 5.

**O'Reilly:** Left vulnerable for the initial goal and had defensive difficulties throughout the match. Showed improvement in midfield but was far from his peak. 4.

**Rodri:** A return to Madrid that he won't look back on with fondness as he failed to prevent Real from circumventing City's midfield. 5.

**Silva:** Fell short on set-pieces and corners and couldn't get involved in the game. 5.

![Real Madrid CF v Manchester City FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/1200x712/secondary/madrid-spain-nico-oreilly-of-manchester-city-reacts-after-a-missed-chance-during-the-uefa-6795654.jpg?r=1773267210959)

Nico O'Reilly didn't have his finest night in a Man City shirt (Image: Getty)

**Semenyo:** Eager to engage with the ball and attempted to create opportunities in the final third, although his touch was inconsistent. 5.

**Savinho:** Didn't make many mistakes and earned a few free-kicks in threatening positions but was substituted due to tactical changes at half-time. 5.

**Doku:** Seemed poised to give Alexander-Arnold a tough time but was effectively marked out of the match and made some poor choices in the final third. 5.

**Haaland:** Failed to contribute significantly, and his early substitution speaks volumes. 4.

**Reijnders:** (for Savinho, 46) Unable to impact the game. 5.

**Cherki:** (for Semenyo, 70) Attempted to instigate action. 6.

**Ait-Nouri:** (for Silva, 70) Mixed performance. Received a yellow card. 5.

**Marmoush:** (for Haaland, 82) Insufficient time.

_Unused substitutes: Trafford, Bettinelli, Nunes, Alleyne, Ake, Stones, Gonzalez, Foden._

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