Rüdiger spoils the party as City’s poor penalties help Madrid
Real Madrid advanced to the semifinal of the Champions League after Manchester City were punished for two terrible penalties in the shoot-out.
Berardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both saw their efforts saved by the the impressive Andriy in as Carlo Ancelotti team stunned the Etihad into silence.
The two giants of European football produced yet another heavyweight Champions League tie as the contrasting styles of the two European giants made for compelling viewing. For 90 minutes it was virtually attack v defence – the holders throwing everything at the Spanish side who took an early lead then sat back and tried to keep it.
Real infuriated by taking lengthy stoppages at every opportunity after going ahead. It was not so noticeable in the first half, but by the second it ramped up the tension.
But City have become such a resilient side, crafted chance after chance, probing from left and right and centre, wracking up more than 20 shots at Lunin’s goal.
Eventually something had to give and sure enough Kevin De Bruyne levelled with only 14 minutes remaining. Such a defensive approach from Real was made possible by taking a 12th-minute lead.
If ever a touch has made a goal it was Jude Bellingham’s in the build-up to Real’s opener.For all the quality on show, the ball was hoofed up the pitch from Real’s defence and the move would have been over before it began had Bellingham not caught the ball on the tip of his toe.
From there the rest was all rather underwhelming, the ball worked swiftly to Vinicius Junior who crossed low.
Rodrygo’s first effort flew off his shin, but when the ball came back out from Ederson’s save the Brazilian tucked it away.
Real had a 12th-minute lead and the stadium was stunned. But from then it was almost all City attack.
It was brazen of Ancelotti to come to the Etihad after that 3-3 draw in Madrid last week and defend but perhaps that is all a team can hope to beat this phenomenal City team that in each position boasts world leading players and backups.
Jack Grealish pecked away at Madrid’s defence with his twisty dribbles and unpredictable feet, winning corners with efforts that went wide of either post.
Erling Haaland, destined either for the Ballon d’Or or League Two depending which pundits you follow, rattled the crossbar with a towering header.
When the ball dropped to Bernardo Silva he had the whole goal to aim at but, in a rare moment of panic, went with his left knee and missed.
Manchester City had clearly identified a weakness from Lunin at corners, De Bruyne repeatedly making attempts to shoot directly with inswingers. Somewhat remarkably, De Bruyne hit the target at least three times, but each time Lunin stood up to the test.
Desperately chasing an equaliser, Pep Guardiola threw the chaos factor into the mix by replacing Grealish, who had been good, with Jeremy Doku in the 72nd minute. And it finally cracked Real’s defence.
Four minutes later Doku dribbled in from the left and crossed low and though Antonio Rüdiger got a toe to the ball De Bruyne was there to equalise. But nothing would separate them over the 90 minutes.