How Man City beat Real Madrid 4-3 in Champions League semi-final first leg
Summary
Manchester City will take a slender lead into their Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid after a sensational game at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side were 4-3 winners but, somehow, were left to rue a number of other big chances. They were punished by the ruthless visitors who, thanks to Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, were able to stay within touching distance of their opponents.
Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring inside two minutes with the fastest goal in Champions League semi-final history before Gabriel Jesus doubled the lead nine minutes later. An excellent Benzema volley - which came out of nothing - halved the deficit to make it 2-1 at half-time.
There was much more of the same in the second period and it took Phil Foden just seven minutes to restore his side’s two-goal lead. Although, that lasted all of two minutes as Vinicius finished off a brilliant run with an extremely cool finish.
City came again as Bernardo Silva sent a rocket beyond Thibaut Courtois and into the top corner to make it 4-2 but Benzema ensured their lead would be cut to just the single goal for the second leg. After Aymeric Laporte was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area, the Real Madrid striker held his nerve to chip his spot kick past the diving Ederson.
The two teams will do battle next Wednesday at the Bernabeu to determine which side will play in the Champions League is just over a month’s time.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Good night from us
After hearing from both managers, that's us done here for the evening. I briefly remember saying that I was expecting a Champions League classic tonight and I'm glad that both teams were more than able to live up to the expectations.
Big games are for the biggest players and that's exactly what we saw at the Etihad. More than ever, it was an absolute pleasure to bring you all the updates and I'm already looking forward to next time.
Now, let's just hope next Wednesday's second leg at the Bernabeu is as enjoyable as this evening's first leg.
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Ancelotti: Of course it was a fantastic game
On the other side of the tunnel, Ancelotti must be extremely relieved that his side are still very much in the Champions League. He will know only too well that they could have been blown away in the first half but the experience was more than enough for them to salvage a useful result.
When asked if he could enjoy the game this evening, he said: "As a supporter of football, of course it was a fantastic game. As a manager of Real Madrid, I have to consider that we scored three goals which was really important but we didn’t defend so well.
"We conceded two goals so early in the game but then we were able to react really well. Now he have a great dream to play second leg in Bernabeu and we hope we get the chance to go to the final.
"This team and these players don’t lose their minds when things are not good. The first 20 minutes were really difficult but after that, slowly you are able to come back in the game to keep the [prospect of] qualification open."
'We played a fantastic game' - Guardiola
Guardiola will have been tearing his hai... will have been scratching his head as to how his side were only able to secure a one-goal lead. But he will also be extremely impressed by what he saw from his team and that pride shone through in his post-match interview.
"We played a fantastic game against an incredible team," he said; "I think the moments that they came back in the game was when we gave them [chances]. Our build up was so nervous and is normally so safe and so good but they also pressed really well and really strongly.
"We played a fantastic game and for us, for Man City, we are so proud but this is about reaching the final and football sometimes happens. We’re going to go to Madrid to try to win the game."
But how good is Karim Benzema?
It seems so cliche to compare Benzema to a fine wine but it is also the perfect way to describe his career arc. He has aged impeccably and now, alongside the likes of De Bruyne and Kylian Mbappe, is competing to be the world's best player.
To take a penalty in such a high-pressure situation is hard enough, then having the confidence to chip that same penalty, wow. What a player.
One of the great semi-final performances from Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne was absolutely electric for Man City this evening and, in recent weeks, he has become the most dominant player in the Premier League. As Sam alludes to in the tweet below, he didn't put a foot wrong throughout the whole 90 minutes.
Foden and Silva give their instant reaction to 'a great game of football'
Two of Manchester City goalscorers this evening have been thrust in front of the media straight after the game and they have echoed much of what the viewers will have been saying, I'm sure. Firstly, Phil Foden.
"For the fans watching, it was obviously a great game of football, a lot of goals," he said. "We're coming up against a team that has won the Champions League many times and we know that if we give the ball away in dangerous areas, they're going to punish us. It's something we need to work on in the second leg and the game's still on."
Secondly. Bernardo Silva.
"I honestly think that the first 20 minutes we were so, so good," he added. "The way we pressed, the way we controlled the game, the way we created chances and over the 90 minutes, it felt like we could've won with a better score. Unfortunately we were not able to take advantage of our two-goal advantages but that's the Champions League. We played against one of the best teams in the world and it's still a good score for us."
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Full time at the Etihad after a phenomenal 90 minutes!
FT Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid
Tonight has shown exactly why the Champions League is the absolute pinnacle of world football. The referee brings an end to the game of the season at the Etihad where both teams more than played their part. Manchester City will be scratching their heads as to how they are only a goal in front heading to the Bernabeu but it is a lead, all the same.
Guardiola and Ancelotti share a smile after the final whistle and they certainly won't be the only ones smiling after that truly brilliant game of football.
How are City only a goal in front?
86' Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid
The hosts have been brilliant tonight and are so unlucky that their opponents have been as ruthless as they have been. The experience that I keep mentioning has shone through in spades this evening as pretty much every other team in the world would have been blown away by a performance of this level.
A couple of teasing crosses from Mahrez come to nothing after looking as though they could, and should, have brought a fifth Man City goal.
Benzema scores the penalty with a sublime chip!
82' Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid
Wow. That is unbelievable from Benzema as he chips one of the highest pressure penalties he'll take in his career into the back of the net as Ederson dives to his left. That is utterly ridiculous and just shows the kind of confidence he is playing with.
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What a strike from Bernardo Silva to make it 4-2!
74' Manchester City 4-2 Real Madrid
That is the pick of the bunch from Bernardo Silva! He makes the most of a brilliant advantage played by the referee by taking the ball from the upended Zinchenko and firing an absolute rocket into Courtois' near-post top corner from the left-hand side of the penalty area.
Camavinga into the action
70' Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid
Ancelotti has made his second change as he has introduced 19-year-old Camavinga from the bench to replace Rodrygo. The young French midfielder has been brilliant from the bench during Los Blancos' Champions League campaign so far and his manager will be desperate for him to have a similar impact tonight.
Battle of the youngsters
67' Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid
An extremely rare lull in the game has given everyone, including the players, the chance for a breather.
Vinicius and Foden have both firmly cemented themselves as two of world football's best youngsters this season so it's fantastic to see them both providing vital contributions in a Champions League semi-final.
(Photo; Getty Images)
What a game of Champions League football
60' Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid
It's a real shame that we have only got another half an hour of this sensational game of football. Both teams are committing everything to adding to the scoreline and it has made for an excellent spectacle, like nothing I can remember seeing before.
I suppose this is exactly what you get when you get several of the world's very best players on the same pitch.
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Vinicius cuts the deficit back down to one goal!
55' Manchester City 3-2 Real Madrid
That is absolutely spell-binding from Vinicius! He sells Fernandinho with a dummy on the halfway line and runs the length of the Man City half before calmly slotting beyond Ederson.
Guardiola's men are really struggling to keep their opponents at arm's length.
Fodens heads in to make it 3-1!
53' Manchester City 3-1 Real Madrid
City finally have the third goal that they have so richly deserved! The evergreen Fernandinho goes on a brilliant run down the right wing and clips a perfect cross into the path of Foden inside the six-yard box who makes no mistake by heading into the back of the net.
Mahrez hits the post!
48' Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid
How many chances are City going to pass up? Mahrez nips in front of Militao and is all of a sudden clean through on goal. This time he's right to be greedy but he isn't quite able to find the bottom corner that he's looking for.
The rebound falls to Foden who does well to respond so quickly but his effort is excellently blocked on the line by Carvajal.