Real Madrid and Manchester produced an amazing Champions League night that was maybe the most beautiful of this edition. On one hand it was City that pushed hard and mande numerous great actions and on the other hand it was Madrid that never gave up, made numerous counter attacks and played with a big spirit; but both of them performed some beautiful plays and it seemed like the match would go on forever like that with both teams reacting and counter reacting for the joy of every football fan.
The outcome of this tussle for a spot in the Champions League final will be decided next Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu. A brace from Karim Benzema, who was making his 600th appearance for the club and is now the leading marksman in this season’s edition of Europe’s elite club competition, and a stunning Vini Jr effort leave this tie wide open as Real Madrid will bid to turn the scoreline around with the backing of the home fans in just over a week’s time (9pm CET kick-off).
Carlo Ancelotti’s charges once again produced another lesson in survival after finding themselves two goals down on no fewer than three occasions (at 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2). “We’ll need our fans more than ever and we’re going to win the game, which will be magical”, insisted Benzema at the full-time whistle. Our stadium is already preparing to will the team on to victory.
Reverting back to that night’s action, Madrid’s task became an uphill struggle right from the off. With barely 10 minutes on the clock, Manchester City were 2-0 to the good courtesy of goals from De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesús. The Whites simply had to respond and Vini Jr. came close to reducing the arrears, only for John Stones to produce a crucial block to send his effort behind for a corner.
The White team applied a higher press and the contest had now become an end-to-end affair. Riyad Mahrez had the chance to score on 26’ and Phil Foden could have netted three minutes later as both unleashed efforts from inside the box that flashed narrowly wide of the upright. Meanwhile, down the other end, David Alaba’s towering header with half an hour played was just centimetres from finding the target.
Ancelotti’s troops had managed to curb the host’s initial surge and cut the deficit in the 33rd minute, when Benzema met Ferland Mendy’s cross with a first-time left-footed finish that struck the post on its way into the net. Two minutes later, Rodrygo came close to levelling matters with a rasping effort from inside the area that Ederson punched behind for a corner.
The hosts started the second half with the same intensity as they showed from the beginning of the clash. In the 48th minute of play, Mahrez rattled the post when played through on Thibaut Courtois’ goal and Dani Carvajal made a goal-saving clearance from Foden’s rebound. Five minutes later, the England attacker made no mistake when he headed in his team’s third from inside the six-yard box. The madridistas response came barely two minutes later. Vini Jr. produced a neat turn to beat Fernandinho on the halfway line before sprinting in on goal and slotting the ball past Ederson to bring the visitors back into the game in some style.
The intensity of the game showed no signs of fading and Militão came a whisker away from making it 3-3, but his headed effort went straight into the hands of the home keeper on 57’. City then extended their lead once again on 74’ when Bernardo Silva swerved a sublime strike into the top corner after the referee had allowed play to continue from a foul on the edge of the area.
With the score at 4-2 and more than a quarter of the clash to play, the Whites pulled another goal back in the 82nd minute. Benzema got his second of the evening when he scored a Panenka-style penalty, after Laporte had handled in the box, to bring the tie back to 4-3 with everything to be decided in the return leg at the Bernabéu.
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