Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Five talking points as Los Blancos best the English Champions yet again 

Manchester City and Real Madrid played a thrilling 3-2 game in favor of the Spanish side in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoffs clash on Tuesday (February 11). The match thrilled neutrals and caused anguish to City fans, but it delivered all that was expected as the English champions faced the Spanish champions.

Desperate to perform well, the Sky Blues came into the match still licking their wounds after their 5-1 Premier League defeat to Arsenal on February 2. Los Blancos came in to remind the world of their credentials as the champions of not just Spain but Europe.

In a match with sides and stakes of this magnitude, talking points are sure to arise among fans, neutrals, and hate-watching rivals.

Five talking points as Real Madrid beat Manchester City

Manchester City’s defense looks and feels wrong

Something has been very wrong with the City defense this season and it's hard to put a finger on it. They lack the solidity and organization that would be expected from a top team and consistently look like they could be ripped apart like paper mache.

It simply doesn't feel good enough to blame the personnel at the club and looks like a systemic failure Pep Guardiola must address.

Irresistible, irrepressible Real Madrid!

We have entered the final third of the campaign and the hour for Real Madrid to metamorphosize into the ultimate Anime protagonist is upon us. The Spanish giants went behind twice in the game but those familiar with the Los Blancos game know they never let the scoreline worry them.

It would be folly to write the reigning Spanish or European champions off in the race for the UEFA Champions League.

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, it's 2025 and Erling Haaland continues to score

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland continues to find the back of the net despite his side being in the middle of a shockingly poor campaign. The Norwegian has bagged 27 goals in 34 games in a season where his side has struggled to impress, and he deserves plaudits for his ruthlessness in front of goal.

Haaland will hope he can repeat his heroics in the return leg in Madrid in eight days (February 19) and help Manchester City overturn the deficit when they face their Spanish opponents.

Ederson Moraes, Real Madrid’s Player of the Match

Statistics will be kind to the Brazilian goalkeeper for his performance in this match, but no one who watched the game will be impressed with his shambolic performance. The keeper helped Real Madrid pull victory from the jaws of defeat with his display in the Manchester City goal and should be held accountable for the Spanish side's second and third goals in the match.

The keeper has been poor this season in the UEFA Champions League, recording just one clean sheet from seven games and conceding 17 goals.

Take a bow Raul Acensio, a star is born in Madrid

Raul Acensio broke into the Real Madrid team this season and has been a joy to behold every time he has taken to the pitch. The Spanish defender’s aggression and composure complement each other beautifully to make him a player neutrals enjoy watching square up to any attacker.

In the victory over Manchester City, Acensio was a rock. He completed 94% of his passes (46/49), won all his four duels, made three recoveries and two clearances, won two tackles and two free kicks for his side, made a last-man tackle, and did not commit a foul. The 21-year-old looks to be a fabulous promotion to the first team and was a delight to watch in Tuesday's game.