Real Madrid holds the superior position over Manchester City as the teams prepare to face each other for their Champions League playoff's second leg at the Bernabeu stadium.
Real Madrid let frustration rule their Ballon d'Or reaction to Rodri's top trophy win over Vinicius Junior and Manchester City supporters aired a banner depicting Rodri kissing the award with "Stop crying your heart out" while referencing their Citizen-bound Oasis love last weekend.
At the final whistle of the first leg match the home fans stood in disbelief when Vinicius Junior sprinted beyond a defender to lift the goal-kick over Ederson and allow Jude Bellingham to score within close range from five meters out while tearing the home team apart with an exciting white and blue uprising.
The last 16 await Real Madrid after defeating Getafe to secure their place with a winnable confrontation against either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen. The Spanish division series has proven unforgiving for the team since their failed recent matches.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw with Osasuna while referee Bellingham received a red card after giving the official what must have been an unsuitable response.
Real Madrid manage to leverage their past performance since turning the first leg of 39 knockout rounds into wins outside of home grounds yet Romero failed to progress only twice.
Last week, after going down twice at the Etihad, the holders managed to return to the Spanish capital with a 3-2 victory by displaying their unwavering Champions League skills.
Real Madrid has advanced from 37 of their 39 European knockout matches when they win the first leg, but City hasn't been able to emulate its hosts' comeback strategy, having lost the initial match on all four of their prior instances.
Even if Pep Guardiola's Man City is favored, the faltering English champions at least had an almost ideal prelude to their intimidating journey to the Bernabeu, hammering Newcastle United for four goals without a response in Saturday's Premier League thrashing.
While Mohamed Salah might hold the crown of Egyptian king, Omar Marmoush made his case to be labelled the Liverpool star's heir apparent with a terrific hat-trick inside just 33 minutes, before James McAtee emerged from the bench to finish the job for the scintillating Sky Blues. Marmoush's performance was a dazzling display of skill and precision, showcasing his potential to follow in Salah's footsteps and carve out his own legacy on the pitch.
The five-in-a-row dream may be long gone, but Guardiola's men at least remain in control of their top-four destiny in England's top flight and are slowly but surely starting to look like Man City again, even if last week proved that their winter frailties have not been entirely eradicated. The team's resilience and determination to bounce back from setbacks have been evident, as they continue to fight for their place among the elite in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, the visitors have now made the net bulge in 15 successive matches across all competitions, including each of their last seven on the road, but they are on a dismal three-game losing streak away from home in Europe, already Guardiola's worst-ever such sequence. This inconsistency in European away fixtures has raised questions about their ability to perform under pressure on the continental stage, despite their domestic dominance. Guardiola will need to address these issues if they are to achieve success on all fronts.
