Goal Glorious! Real Madrid Secures Title With Stellar Performance

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team's first goal from the penalty spot with teammates Arda Gueler and Thiago Pitarch during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Manchester City FC and Real Madrid CF at City of Manchester Stadium on March 17, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images Thiago Pitarch spoke with calm maturity after Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad, a result that sealed a dominant 5-1 aggregate triumph. Despite the pressure of the occasion, the young midfielder highlighted the team’s control, ambition, and belief throughout the night.

Madrid entered the second leg with a significant advantage, but Pitarch was clear that the approach was never about sitting back and protecting it. “It was a match where we knew we had an advantage. But an early goal could have complicated things, and we started well, thanks to Vini’s penalty.

His goal made it difficult, but we handled it well and fortunately pulled it off. ” The early breakthrough from Vinicius Jr helped settle nerves, but Pitarch acknowledged the potential danger had City struck first. Instead, Madrid imposed themselves and managed the tie with authority.

That sense of control was paired with attacking intent — something Pitarch emphasized when discussing the team’s mentality going into the match: “After all, we came here to win, not just to hold onto the result. It worked out well. We had quite a few chances, chances to miss in front of the goalkeeper.