Manchester City faced Real Madrid in a crucial Champions League second-leg match at the Santiago Bernabeu. The team was already trailing from the first leg, and with Erling Haaland ruled out due to injury, things became even more difficult for City. Despite the absence of their star striker, Manchester City still had a squad full of talented players. Haaland’s replacement had recently scored a hat-trick in a weekend game, showing that the tie wasn’t over. However, the team was still facing an uphill battle.
Haaland did not warm up during the game, and it was clear that he would likely miss the upcoming match against Liverpool as well. What stood out more than Haaland’s absence was Kevin De Bruyne’s omission from the squad entirely. Despite being rested in the weekend game, De Bruyne was expected to play a big role against Real Madrid, especially with Haaland out. De Bruyne had been instrumental for City in previous encounters at the Bernabeu and had the ability to create chances out of nothing.
But Pep Guardiola chose to leave De Bruyne on the bench for the entire match. Instead, Guardiola opted for players like Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush, and Ilkay Gundogan to try to turn things around. When Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick to put Madrid in complete control of the tie, De Bruyne was still on the sidelines. It raised the question: was Guardiola giving De Bruyne a break from a potentially painful experience, or did he simply not think De Bruyne was the right player to change the course of the game? Even though City were 5-2 down on aggregate at half-time, De Bruyne could have added some spark to the team, yet Guardiola chose not to bring him on.
This decision was telling. De Bruyne, who had once been one of City’s most important players, was no longer the go-to man for the club. His absence from the field felt like a clear indication that Guardiola might be ready to move on from him. De Bruyne has been with City for many years and has produced some of the most memorable performances in the club’s history, particularly against Real Madrid. However, in a match that marked another disappointing exit from the Champions League, he was left to watch from the sidelines.
De Bruyne is set to be out of contract in the summer, and the situation against Madrid might have been a sign that his time at City is coming to an end. Guardiola has spoken about the need to refresh and rebuild the squad, and this decision could very well signal that De Bruyne’s future at City is uncertain. If this was De Bruyne’s final Champions League appearance for Manchester City, it would be a sad way for such a talented player to end his time at the club.
At the end of the match, De Bruyne was one of the last players to leave the pitch, taking a moment to acknowledge the fans in the stands. He looked as disappointed as any of the players who had actually participated in the match. Former professional player Rio Ferdinand, who was watching from the sidelines, even remarked that seeing De Bruyne warming down on the pitch after the match was disheartening. Ferdinand seemed to imply that De Bruyne, a player of such quality, deserved more than to be an unused substitute in a Champions League knockout match.
While it may have been a mark of respect to keep De Bruyne out of the match and prevent him from experiencing the humiliation of Madrid’s dominance, it was also a clear sign that Guardiola may no longer see him as essential to the team’s future. De Bruyne was once considered irreplaceable at Manchester City, but his exclusion from this important match suggests that his role in the squad may be coming to an end.
Guardiola will have difficult decisions to make in the coming months regarding the future of his squad. City need to rebuild, and that could mean saying goodbye to some of their long-standing players, including De Bruyne. While the Belgian international has been one of the club’s best players over the years, his exclusion from this high-profile game against Madrid could be a signal that his time at the club is running out. City will need to look forward to the future, and it might be time to move on from some of their older players as they look to freshen up the squad.
De Bruyne’s legacy at City is secure, but it remains to be seen whether he will be part of the club’s future. He has been a key figure in their success, but the decision to leave him out of this important match against Madrid shows that Guardiola may be looking to the next generation of players to carry the team forward. Whether De Bruyne’s time at City ends this season or whether he stays for one more year, only time will tell. For now, Manchester City must focus on their upcoming matches, including the crucial game against Liverpool, and look to bounce back from their Champions League exit.
