Manchester City pulled off a remarkable 2-1 rally against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, intensifying the scrutiny on struggling Los Blancos coach Xabi Alonso.
“It’s difficult to come here, it’s a tough place to come,” remarked Erling Haaland, the player whose decisive penalty kick secured the crucial victory for Pep Guardiola’s squad.
“The game gets how it gets with loads of transitions. We could have had another one but the game is a bit chaotic. In the end, we’re super happy”.
Haaland’s impressive form continued, making him the third player to score in four consecutive UEFA Champions League away appearances for Manchester City, after Sergio Agüero and Phil Foden.
The Norwegian striker has now scored 21 goals this season.
Successive home losses have intensified scrutiny on Alonso, with Real Madrid slipping to seventh in the league-phase table.
Rodrygo, who scored Madrid’s opener, expressed solidarity with his coach, saying, “It’s a difficult moment, for us, and for him too. Things are not going for us and I wanted to show everyone that we are together with our coach”.
Rodrygo, who ended a 32-match goal drought, acknowledged the high expectations at Madrid, saying, “The demands at Madrid are very high, the fans expect a lot. We’ve been here many years, we know this happens when we are not playing well. It’s fair”.
The Brazilian winger added: “We need this unity to move on and achieve our objectives. It’s up to us to accept it, try and improve, and come out of this situation.”
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