It was Kylian Mbappe’s night, and no one was going to steal it from him. Not Manchester City. Not Pep Guardiola. And certainly not Josko Gvardiol.
A dominant second-leg performance saw them dismantle the reigning English champions, with Mbappe at the heart of the destruction. The French superstar bagged a hat-trick, sealing Manchester City’s humiliating Champions League exit with a 6-3 aggregate victory.
But beyond the goals, beyond the win, there was one moment that defined the night—one that Gvardiol will want to forget.
Humiliation comes in different forms in football. Sometimes it’s a last-minute winner. Sometimes it’s a heavy defeat. And sometimes, it’s getting dropped to the turf and watching your opponent celebrate at your expense.
With Madrid already in control, Mbappe made sure there would be no way back for City. Slotted through by Rodrygo, he still had plenty to do. But what followed was pure, unfiltered brilliance.
With a vicious chop and a body feint, Mbappe left Gvardiol sliding as he then slotted the ball past Ederson.
The finish was ice-cold, but the celebration was even colder. As Mbappe wheeled away, he pointed toward the fallen Gvardiol, making a hand gesture that seemed to mock the defender’s desperate, failed attempt to stop him. It wasn’t just a goal—it was a statement. A reminder of why Mbappe is inevitable on the biggest stage.
Social media erupted. Memes flooded in. Gvardiol became the latest victim of football’s brutal internet culture, with plenty of tweets along the lines of, “Mbappe sent him back to Croatia.” While another user added, “Mbappe really hit Gvardiol with the ‘Look at this guy’ celebration.”
