In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Manchester City drew 3-3 with Real Madrid, goals for City came from Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Joao Cancelo, but Federico Valverde’s late equalizer ensured the match ended in a draw.
In Short
City’s game against Real Madrid
Manchester City played an extraordinary game against Real Madrid, drawing 3-3, leaving the Champions League quarter-final tie finely poised.
Bernardo Silva’s early goal
It seemed like Phil Foden and Joao Cancelo’s long-range strikes had secured a dramatic win for Pep Guardiola’s European champions in the night, but Madrid took the lead twice within two minutes after Bernardo Silva’s early goal.
Valverde’s splendid volley
The technique on Fede Valverde’s goal is ridiculous.
— TC (@totalcristiano) April 9, 2024
What a player. pic.twitter.com/C505E6sgoz
However, Federico Valverde’s splendid volley leveled it once again, much to the delight of the enthusiastic Bernabeu crowd. A draw was a fair result considering City’s dominance, although Madrid had better chances. Everyone needs to play their part in Manchester before the second leg.
Guardiola on Foden
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Guardiola addressed some concerns about Foden limping towards the end of the game: “He was angry with me for substituting him. That means he’s okay.”
How the drama unfolded
Kevin De Bruyne’s absence from the bench wasn’t an ideal start for City, but they gained an early advantage after Jack Grealish was brought down in the first minute. Silva’s free-kick found Andriy Lunin diving to keep it out.
Real Madrid’s response
The attempt to close the roof of the famous old stadium in an effort to spoil the atmosphere was thwarted by two quick goals. It was a notable response from the 14-time champions, even if City considered themselves unfortunate in terms of goal-scoring.
Eduardo Camavinga’s shot was heading the other way until he collided with Ruben Dias, diverting onto the wrong foot of goalkeeper Stephen Ortega, who was left helpless again as Rodrigo’s shot deflected off Manuel Akanji and into the empty net. Real Madrid can be weird at times, as City knows best two years after suffering semifinal defeat in the Spanish capital. More worrisome was Carlo Ancelotti’s team continuing to trouble the Premier League champions after that.
Also Read : “Watch| Foden’s Spectacular Hat-Trick Leads Man City to 4-1 Victory Against Aston Villa
Some missed opportunities
Rodrigo and Vinicius Junior had several opportunities to double their lead before halftime, attacking the left channel according to their wishes. Both sides lost good chances at the start of the second half. It proved costly.
Foden’s chance wasn’t as clear, but it was more precise, lobbing the ball into the top corner from 20 yards out to break Madrid’s resistance. It was a characteristic of his recent excellent form. The manner in which Guardiola’s side conceded was less anticipated. Cutting inside with his supposedly weaker right foot, the Croatian defender found himself in space and beat Lunin at his near post. All three of City’s goals came from outside the penalty box. It was a fantastic finishing display, but Madrid had an answer of their own.
Valverde made a run at the back post and took his shot spectacularly, scoring three times from as many attempts, setting the stage perfectly for the rematch at the Etihad Stadium next week. Based on this evidence, both teams will fancy their chances of progressing.
Match stats
This was only the first knockout round game in the Champions League where both teams scored three or more goals in the first leg, despite the lead swinging back and forth. It’s only the fourth time in Champions League history that both teams have scored three or more goals in the first leg of a two-legged knockout tie, with the previous instance also involving these two sides (semifinal in 2022).
In his last three games at the Santiago Bernabeu versus Real Madrid, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has not won, which is his longest losing run as a visiting coach. The only other knockout round match in the Champions League where the first 14 minutes featured three goals was in April 2019, when Manchester City faced Tottenham. More goals from outside the box than any other Premier League player in all competitions have been scored by Foden for Manchester City this season.”
photos source : X
