Kylian Mbappe struck a brilliant hat-trick for Champions League holders Real Madrid in a 3-1 win over Manchester City, helping Los Blancos reach the last 16 with a 6-3 aggregate victory.
Pep Guardiola’s side, shorn of key striker Erling Haaland, suffered a painful early exit on Wednesday without laying a glove on the completely dominant 15-time record winners in the Spanish capital until Nico Gonzalez tapped home in stoppage time.
French superstar Mbappe broke the deadlock with a lob in the fourth minute and netted a fine second after combining with his attacking partners as the English side were sliced open.
The striker, in sensational form after a slow start to life at Madrid, completed his treble in the second half with a low strike from the edge of the box to reach seven goals in the competition this season in 10 appearances.
“We wanted to win and go through because, for us, it was logical that Real Madrid would be in the last 16 of the Champions League,” Mbappe told Movistar.
“We know that at home, we are very strong, and we played as a team in the best way, and we made Madrid fans very happy.”
Mbappe has scored 28 goals this season, with 18 in his last 18 games across all competitions.
Next up for Madrid in the last 16 is a clash with either local rivals Atletico or German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
It was the first time in Guardiola’s illustrious career that one of his teams in the Champions League had failed to reach the round of 16.
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