Man City aghast as Real prevails

MADRID: Real Madrid fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Manchester City 31 after extra time and 65 on aggregate in an enthralling and dramatic Champions League semifinal yesterday.

City led 10 on the night and 53 on aggregate when Riyad Mahrez scored after 73 minutes but Real substitute Rodrygo equalised in the last minute of normal time and headed home one minute later to level the tie at 55.

Five minutes into extra time Karim Benzema converted a penalty awarded for a foul on him by Ruben Dias and Real, the record 13times European champion, held the shellshocked English side at bay to reach the final.

Real will play Liverpool on May 28 in Paris, a repeat of the 2018 final in Kyiv which the Spanish team won 31.

It was another superb rearguard action by Real, which came from behind for the third consecutive time in this season’s Champions League knockout stage to stay on course to win Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the fifth time in the past nine years.

After a breathtaking first leg packed with goals and individual brilliance from both sides, the return game was the complete opposite.

City worked tirelessly to subdue the home side, which failed to manage a shot on target in the first half.

With Real fast running out of ideas, Bernardo Silva broke through the middle of its defence and laid the ball off for Mahrez to finish and City looked certain to stay on course to win the trophy for the first time.

But as it did against Paris St Germain in the round of 16 and Chelsea in the quarterfinals, Real conjured up the magic it required.

Rodrygo slotted in from close range to give it a lifeline and the Brazilian headed home to send the Bernabeu crowd into raptures before Benzema completed the turnaround.

‘‘Everything is possible when you are called Real Madrid,’’ goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told Movistar Plus.

‘‘This is just amazing.

‘‘We have knocked out very big clubs that have spent a lot of money to build their teams. But we have our history. And when Real Madrid get to the final, they go to win it.’’

Guardiola told BT Sport Liverpool went close.

‘‘But in the end we could not reach it,’’ he said.

‘‘We didn’t play our best, but it is normal, a semifinal — the players feel the pressure.

‘‘Football is unpredictable — it is a game like this.

‘‘We have to accept it.’’ — Reuters