Nico O'Reilly was thrilled after scoring his first UEFA Champions League goal, which helped us win 2-1 against Real Madrid.

Rodrygo scored for the home team just before the half-hour mark, but O’Reilly quickly equalised 10 minutes before halftime. He scored from close range after Thibaut Courtois saved Josko Gvardiol’s header.

Two minutes later, Erling Haaland scored his 55th Champions League goal from a penalty after Antonio Rudiger fouled him, putting us ahead.

In the second half, Jude Bellingham missed a chance, and Endrick's header hit the bar as Real Madrid tried to tie the game. Jeremy Doku’s shot was then saved by Courtois, as we tried to increase our advantage. The second half ended without any goals.

“It was really special; I’m really happy about it,” O’Reilly said after the game.

“I’ll always remember this goal. Getting the three points was most important, and we did. Erling has been giving me some advice!

“It feels great. The atmosphere and stadium are amazing; it’s hard to play here.

“We got the three points, which is what matters. I’m enjoying it, taking it all in. I'm working hard in every game and practice, and I’m loving it.

“I started a little slow and could've prevented their goal, but I made up for it later.”

With this win, we now have 13 points from six League Phase games, which means we still control our chances of finishing in the top eight with two games left.

O’Reilly thinks that the determination we showed in Madrid goes well with our current strong performance in all competitions.

“We know Real Madrid is a good team. We’ve played them a lot over the past few seasons. They are that good.

“Winning here shows how well we’re playing right now.”

Pep Guardiola believes Xabi Alonso can turn things around at Real Madrid, even though he thinks his own record at Manchester City last season would have gotten him fired in Madrid.

Alonso, who became Real's boss this summer, is already feeling the heat at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Some suggest that the former Liverpool midfielder might be fired if Real loses to Guardiola's Manchester City in their Champions League match on Wednesday.

Guardiola, who coached Alonso at Bayern Munich, said, I feel for him because we worked together for about two years. It was great working with him. We shared a lot, not just as managers, but with our families too.

But Barcelona and Madrid are the toughest clubs to manage, mainly because of the pressure and the environment. If I had done last season what Alonso is doing, I would have been fired six months before the season even ended. It's tough there. But Alonso knows this; he's been there. It's all about winning.

Real Madrid had a good start under Alonso, but after losing to Liverpool last month, things have gone downhill, with rumours of problems in the locker room. They've only won two of their six games since then, which ended with a discouraging 2-0 loss at home to Celta Vigo on Saturday.

When asked if he thought Madrid might be weak, Guardiola said, I don't think so. I know they have several people out, and I know what it's like when you're building something. Xabi knows what he needs to do, and I know what kind of team we're up against. He can get the job done.

The match on Wednesday is just the latest in a rivalry that has grown over the years. The clubs have played each other in five of the last six seasons, most recently in the playoff round last February, when Real won over two games.

Guardiola hopes his players are ready for the challenge. He said, We're in the group stage, so it's different, but all our knockout games have been close and exciting. We have some key players who will be playing at the Bernabeu for the first time. We're still getting used to things. You have to go through this if you want to move forward in Europe. It's a great place to see what you're made of.

City will still be without midfielder Rodri, and defender John Stones is now injured with a leg problem.