Jude Bellingham fires Actual Madrid to dramatic win over Manchester Metropolis

Actual Madrid´s French ahead #09 Kylian Mbappe celebrates with Actual Madrid´s Brazilian ahead #07 Vinicius Junior after scoring his group first objective through the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid on the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 11, 2025. — AFP

MANCHESTER: Jude Bellingham scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal an exciting 3-2 comeback victory for Actual Madrid towards Manchester Metropolis within the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final conflict on Tuesday.

Kylian Mbappé and Brahim Díaz additionally struck for Actual, to cancel out a double from Metropolis’s Erling Haaland.

Haaland opened the scoring within the nineteenth minute when Joško Gvardiol chested the ball all the way down to the 24-year-old Norwegian, who volleyed into the far nook. The objective was given after followers held their breath via a four-minute VAR test for offside.

Kylian Mbappé levelled within the sixtieth minute with a rebound off a free kick, awkwardly bobbling the ball off his shin whereas falling, earlier than it looped over goalkeeper Ederson and into the web.

Haaland struck from the penalty spot within the eightieth minute – awarded after Dani Ceballos took down Phil Foden by his proper knee within the field – sending keeper Thibaut Courtois the fallacious means. However then Díaz pounced on a poor clearance of Vinícius Jr’s shot by Ederson, and tapped house the ball.

England worldwide Bellingham scored the winner within the 92nd minute when Vinícius looped the ball over from the left and the Englishman bought in entrance of John Stones to faucet house.

“I’m very happy for the win, for the team’s work, we played a very complete game and I think it was a really good performance,” Díaz stated.

“I’m happy for the goal and for helping the team … I feel we played a great match, it’s not easy here, against a pretty good team… but there’s still the second leg and the work is not finished.”

Actual and Metropolis did not advance robotically to the final 16 as one of many high eight sides within the Champions League desk, within the new league-phase format, which means one of many match’s high contenders can be eradicated early.

The second leg is February 19 in Madrid.