Real Madrid suffered but eliminated Manchester City on penalties to meet Bayern in the semifinals
Real Madrid beat Manchester City this Wednesday in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals held at the Etihad Stadium, dethroning the current champion to strengthen its candidacy for the fifteenth crown thanks to a decisive Lunin in the penalty shootout that decided a long-suffering eliminatory.
After the 3-3 first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti’s men took revenge for last season’s elimination at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s men, and ended the English team’s unbeaten streak at home, since 2018, in the Champions. In the opening 45 minutes, Madrid struck first with Rodrygo and defended well against a City that, from less to more, was around the goal.
The current champion could have done better, as they showed in that change of third and in the restart, with a total siege on a decisive Lunin before winning the title by far, until they achieved 1-1 from Kevin de Bryune. After extra time where the wear and tear was noticeable, the penalties elevated the 25-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper, leader of a new epic episode for Madrid in Europe.
City surely came out as usual at home, where they feel like favorites with more than 40 consecutive games without losing, even remembering the 4-0 defeat to the whites last year. A fearsome team that wanted to win with the stripes and, for that, Madrid was the favorite. Ancelotti’s men fulfilled their plan better: intense in three quarters of the field, and above all, if the light blues approached Lunin.
The visiting goalkeeper was the first to give his team security, with a lot of aerial ball, a lot of closed corner kicks. Later, with Jude Bellingham, and anyone who saw the option of truly running, Madrid looked for oil above. City’s lack of bite was seen in a split pressure and little force at the back, with up to seven players in the defective fallback from 0-1.
A kick to Bellingham, the Englishman opened up Vinícius and at the penalty spot he found only Rodrygo, who had two shots to beat Ederson in the 12th minute. It was even good for City to fit in to add a little more blood to the matter, but Madrid achieved a script that they know how to interpret. A low block with the danger of the two Brazilians plus Fede Valverde at the exit, although he did not take advantage of it.
The visitor’s feeling of danger was decreasing and Guardiola’s men had their minutes of siege, where their pressure was effective and the chances were arriving. De Bruyne appeared twice in the baseline, but Lunin cut off the passes to Haaland. However, the Norwegian caught a rebound in one and sent it to the crossbar.
The English team also tried from outside the area, without aim, and Ancelotti’s men left with reasons to believe at half-time, due to their goal and their defensive performance, a double partial victory over City. Without a doubt, at half-time Guardiola asked for more from his team and the Premier League leader put him on the pitch.
THE CITY FORGIVES AND MADRID IS EPIC
The local team put a new gear into their leadership and each attack was a danger from above and below for Lunin. A total siege without respite for Madrid, with a rival well involved, also in defense this time, expeditious in the yellows to Grealish and Gvardiol. Without breaking the visitors’ wall, Guardiola ended up making a move: Grealish for Jérémy Doku, and that’s where City broke.
The Belgian was able to beat Carvajal and, in a bad clearance by Rüdiger, De Bruyne appeared to put it away from Lunin’s reach (1-1). The Belgian midfielder forgave a couple more before extra time arrived in Manchester, after the fifteenth corner (15-0) for the locals, which Haaland forgave in his last serve. The Norwegian, once again well watched by the white defense, left injured and without a role once again against the Spanish team.
However, Ancelotti’s men, who brought in Luka Modric and Brahim, had a secondary role in the game, in the midst of total wear and tear, with Vinícius, after being ruled out by Walker for the last time, and Carvajal asking for a change due to injury. In extra time he continued to be at the mercy of the intensity of a City that rebelled from the break to give up its territory in the Champions League. Madrid’s Numantine defense returned with the tie looking to penalties.
Fatigue also undoubtedly took its toll on the English, who had to do without a lighthouse like De Bryune. There Guardiola’s team lost ideas and, from 11 meters, Madrid showed its love affair with the competition. Lunin gave life to Ancelotti’s team by stopping Bernardo Silva’s shot after Modric missed his. He later did the same with Kovacic’s.
With that loss, City was knocked out of its defense of the title and Madrid, with Rüdiger’s decisive shot, into the semi-finals against Bayern Munich, who eliminated Arsenal this Wednesday. Favorite again in ‘their’ competition to try to secure the ‘Fifteenth’, a Madrid that, for football or ‘Champions’ literature, seems to play in another league in Europe.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: MANCHESTER CITY, 1 – REAL MADRID, 1. (0-1, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS:
MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson; Walker, Akanji (Stones, min.112), Rúben Dias, Guardiol; Rodri, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne (Kovacic, min. 112); Foden, Haaland (Julián Álvarez, min.91) and Grealish (Jérémy Doku, min.72).
REAL MADRID: Lunin; Carvajal (Militato, min.110), Rüdiger, Nacho, Mendy; Camavinga, Valverde, Kroos (Modric, min.80), Bellingham; Rodrygo (Brahim, min.85) and Vinícius (Lucas Vázquez, min.102).
–GOALS:
0 – 1, min.12, Rodrygo.
1 – 1, min.76, De Bruyne.
–DE PENALTIS SIGN:
1 – 0, goal, Julián Álvarez.
1 – 0, miss, Modric.
1 – 0, miss, Bernardo Silva.
1 – 1, gol, Bellingham.
1 – 1, falla, Kovacic.
1 – 2, goal, Lucas.
2 – 2, goal, Foden.
2 – 3, goal, Nacho.
3 – 3, goal, Ederson.
3 – 4, goal, Rüdiger.
–REFEREE: Daniele Orsato (ITA). He cautioned Grealish (min.59), Gvardiol (min.61) and Rodri (min.90) for City. And Carvajal (min.38) and Mendy (min.90 4) in Madrid.
–ESTADIO: Etihad Stadium.
