Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid continued their highly charged rivalry with Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu, resulting in a much-needed win for Los Blancos. Despite struggling to create meaningful chances throughout, the hosts deservedly emerged victorious, thanks to an Erling Haaland penalty and Nico O'Reilly's equalizer.
City were not at their best, but Guardiola's side showed signs of improvement as the game wore on, with Rodrygo scoring a trademark goal against his former club. However, the visitors' midfield control was evident once again, with Jude Bellingham struggling to make an impact alongside Federico Valverde.
The game marked a turning point for Guardiola and City, who had been under pressure following recent defeats in domestic competitions. The manager's high standards were on display, as he acknowledged that his team did not play up to par but still managed to secure the win.
On the other hand, Liverpool failed to make an impact as usual, with Mohamed Salah absent from the starting lineup and no signs of improvement despite pre-season hopes for a strong Champions League campaign. The Reds narrowly beat Inter at San Siro, which was a crucial win in resetting their momentum after recent setbacks.
The game also showcased Atalanta's growing strength under coach Raffaele Palladino, who led his side to successive victories against Chelsea and Benfica. Gianluca Scamacca canceled out João Pedro's opener from Charles De Ketelaere's cross, with Robert Sánchez's goalkeeping proving crucial in securing the win.
In other news, Ruud Gullit defended Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, claiming that he was being sold short by his teammates and that he could play better with other players around him. Richard Keys responded to Gullit's comments, saying that Bellingham is an agitator who does not track back, but the Dutch legend insisted that the Englishman has what it takes to succeed at Real Madrid.
Looking ahead, Napoli face Copenhagen in their next Champions League match, while José Mourinho appears to be performing a miracle with Benfica, moving them up to 25th place after beating Napoli and Juventus. The Portuguese coach expects his side to make a deep run in the competition, citing a "Benfica mentality" as key to success.
In contrast, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City sit 23rd in the table due to their recent domestic struggles, but they still have high aspirations for the Champions League.
City were not at their best, but Guardiola's side showed signs of improvement as the game wore on, with Rodrygo scoring a trademark goal against his former club. However, the visitors' midfield control was evident once again, with Jude Bellingham struggling to make an impact alongside Federico Valverde.
The game marked a turning point for Guardiola and City, who had been under pressure following recent defeats in domestic competitions. The manager's high standards were on display, as he acknowledged that his team did not play up to par but still managed to secure the win.
On the other hand, Liverpool failed to make an impact as usual, with Mohamed Salah absent from the starting lineup and no signs of improvement despite pre-season hopes for a strong Champions League campaign. The Reds narrowly beat Inter at San Siro, which was a crucial win in resetting their momentum after recent setbacks.
The game also showcased Atalanta's growing strength under coach Raffaele Palladino, who led his side to successive victories against Chelsea and Benfica. Gianluca Scamacca canceled out João Pedro's opener from Charles De Ketelaere's cross, with Robert Sánchez's goalkeeping proving crucial in securing the win.
In other news, Ruud Gullit defended Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, claiming that he was being sold short by his teammates and that he could play better with other players around him. Richard Keys responded to Gullit's comments, saying that Bellingham is an agitator who does not track back, but the Dutch legend insisted that the Englishman has what it takes to succeed at Real Madrid.
Looking ahead, Napoli face Copenhagen in their next Champions League match, while José Mourinho appears to be performing a miracle with Benfica, moving them up to 25th place after beating Napoli and Juventus. The Portuguese coach expects his side to make a deep run in the competition, citing a "Benfica mentality" as key to success.
In contrast, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City sit 23rd in the table due to their recent domestic struggles, but they still have high aspirations for the Champions League.
... i feel like he knows exactly what makes his team tick even when they're not playing their best game 
his tactics are so solid and he always finds a way to get the win 
I can imagine how frustrating it must be for Manchester City fans right now... 
Their team hasn't been performing as well as they would've liked in domestic competitions, and that win at Real Madrid is definitely a much-needed boost 
. Pep Guardiola's high standards are really tough to meet, but he's showing the team that even when they're not playing their best, they can still find ways to win 
. Napoli and Benfica seem like dark horses in the competition right now, and José Mourinho is pulling off some amazing miracles at Benfica 
. Manchester City have high aspirations too, but they need to find consistency if they want to make a deep run.
I've been reading all these comments saying he's not tracking back enough and that Ruud Gullit is right to defend him 
I'm loving all the drama and excitement in the football world right now! Can't wait to see what happens next 
Can we please just focus on the match without all these distractions?
Atalanta's resurgence under Raffaele Palladino is great to see, and I'm loving José Mourinho's miracle with Benfica - that guy knows how to turn things around! 
But seriously, can we get some better moderation on this platform? It's getting hard to have a conversation without all the noise... 
. Guardiola's tactics are spot on, but the squad needs to step up their game if they wanna compete with top teams.
. They're always so reliant on one player to do all the work.
25th place in January isn't bad, mate!
. If they can get their domestic form together, I think they've got a real shot at making it far in the competition 
he's all about that high standard life and it's paying off - City's got the talent and will bounce back from this one 
And you know what's crazy? Bellingham's been getting some flak for not being good enough, but Ruud Gullit's got his back 
and bellingham is definitely talented, he just needs to find his footing in madrid
. But what's up with City not killing it domestically? 
. I'm loving the confidence from José Mourinho on Benfica though, that guy's got a magic spell over teams right now 
. And Jude Bellingham's getting roasted by pundits 
but Ruud Gullit thinks he's a hidden gem, maybe we'll see him shine at Real Madrid? 
️
and atlanta seems like they're on the rise too 
their coach palladino is doing something right 
25th place and making a deep run in the competition? that's just crazy 
. And at the same time, teams like Liverpool and Inter are trying to turn things around 
. Napoli and Benfica are definitely on fire 
, he'll figure it out. And can we talk about José Mourinho for a sec?