'It highlighted all the flaws City have got'

BBC News

20-02-2025

It was a chastening night for defending Premier League champions Manchester City against Champions League holders Real Madrid as they lost 3-1 (6-3 on agg) at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to exit the competition.Speaking on BBC Sounds' Football Daily Champions League debrief after the match, former goalkeeper Paul Robinson agreed that "it was clear to see" a huge gulf exists between Real Madrid and Manchester City."You watch that game and these two teams that played each other last year, it was almost role reversal the way Manchester City overpowered Real Madrid and how strong they looked," he said."The difference in the two sides today was so obvious to see. Real Madrid haven't improved that much that they have gone above Manchester City, it's how far Manchester City have actually dropped off and the lack of self-belief in that side."It is the earliest that Manchester City have exited the competition since the 2012-13 season when they were eliminated in the group stage and Robinson was particularly scathing of their defence on the night, stating: "I use the words susceptible and vulnerable, that's what they look like as a defence. Every single time Real Madrid got the ball, they looked scared."There was holes all over in this Manchester City defence. They were pulled apart, there was no confidence, no communication and they're certainly a different Manchester City team to the one that played in the Champions League last year. They're miles off it, they really are."We've seen them lose games in the Premier League that we won't expect them to lose but you look at their record in the Champions League, losing away at Sporting Lisbon 4-1, losing against Juventus, the way that they capitulated at Paris Saint-Germain."There's been signs of their form and results coming back in the league but I think tonight was a bad highlight, it highlighted all the flaws that they've got."Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.