Man City ready for lift-off after Haaland secures win at Real Madrid

To put a bit of context into what happened this was the first time since 1991 in this competition, when it was the European Cup, that Madrid have scored first at home but gone in at half-time losing. And they could not turn it around – as they have so often done in the past. And not least to City.

“Don’t misunderstand me winning at the Bernabéu is a big task,” Guardiola said. “In February, March if we want to go through to semi-finals, finals we need a better performance than today. But we will work on it. Knowing the players we will be better, we will improve…If no injuries it will happen 100 per cent.”

It felt like a threat as much as a promise.

What was so pleasing for Guardiola was the contribution from some of those who are emerging as key figures in this new City side: Jérémy Doku (“over five metres I have never seen anything like that. If we can bring him to the final stage, he will kill you,” Guardiola said) Nico O’Reilly – who recovered from being at fault for Madrid’s goal to score his first in the Champions League – and, above all, Josko Gvardiol who was outstanding in central defence.

“He makes mistakes but has the courage to try,” Guardiola said of 20-year-old O’Reilly and that kind of sums up his team at present which makes them so exciting especially with that front four of Haaland, Doku, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki.

Still Guardiola will not have been pleased with how Madrid scored.

It owed a lot to Rodrygo’s crisp finish. But even more to City’s poor defending. Álvaro Carreras – another Manchester United mistake in letting him go – outmuscled Bernardo Silva and sprung a counter-attack with Bellingham switching the ball to Rodrygo on the right.

There had been no pressure on Bellingham and there was none on Rodrygo with O’Reilly too far away from the winger who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a shot across the goalkeeper. Should Donnarumma have done better?