Champions League Semi-final: Man City beat Real Madrid 4-3: Manchester City have the advantage in the Champions League semi-finals after edging out Real Madrid 4-3 in a thrilling first leg at the Etihad Stadium. The English champions could live to regret not killing off the 13-time winners after taking a two-goal lead three times. The decider will be played at Santiago Bernabeu next week. Follow live updates with InsideSport.IN
Champions League Semi-final: Man City edge SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER in the UCL semifinals 1st Leg, Benzema completes brace with PANENKA penalty in Man City vs REAL MADRID: Check Highlights
Manchester City win a SEVEN-GOAL thriller against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final! 🥵 pic.twitter.com/5SdJWt0T9B
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 26, 2022
Champions League Semi-final: Highlights
- 2′ – Kevin De Bruyne handed City the perfect start. The Belgian makes a late run into the Madrid box and plants a diving header into the bottom-left corner.
- 11′ – Gabriel Jesus capitalised on a defensive mistake from Alaba and slotted a close-range strike past Courtois.
- 33′ – Karim Benzema gets ahead of Zinchenko and guides a left-footed strike on the half-volley away from Ederson into the bottom-right corner.
- 53′ – Fernandinho surged down the right flank and lifts a perfect cross into the middle. Foden drifts between Militao and Carvajal to guide his header into the bottom-right corner.
- 55’ – Vinicius Jr. runs half the length of the pitch after dummying Fernandinho and beats the City defence for pace as scores past Ederson with a low finish.
- 74’ – Bernardo Silva Portuguese found the top-left corner with a stunner to restore City’s two goal advantage.
- 80’ – PENALTY! Laporte was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.
- 82’ – Karim Benzema goes for Panenka chip right down the middle of the goal and finds the net as Ederson dives early to his left.
Champions League Semi-final: Man City edge SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER in the UCL semifinals 1st Leg, Benzema completes brace with PANENKA penalty in Man City vs REAL MADRID: Check Highlights
Champions League Semi-final: Man City edge SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER in the UCL semifinals 1st Leg
City made a flying start and took the lead courtesy of the quickest goal scored in a Champions League semi-final. Indeed, just 94 seconds were on the clock when De Bruyne the hero against Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals – headed home from Riyad Mahrez’s delicious cross.
De Bruyne turned provider as the hosts doubled their advantage nine minutes later; his cross ricocheting kindly for Jesus to tuck away. Mahrez and Phil Foden squandered chances to widen the margin before Madrid pulled one back as Benzema brilliantly volleyed home from Ferland Mendy’s centre.
City regained their two-goal buffer within eight minutes of the restart, Foden ghosting in to head home Fernandinho’s cross. Madrid responded almost immediately as Vinicius raced down the left flank from inside his own half, before slotting past Ederson.
City regained control in the 73rd minute. Referee Istvan Kovacs played a brilliant advantage after Oleksandr Zinchenko was felled by Toni Kroos, enabling Silva to fire past a perplexed Thibaut Courtois.
But Los Blancos had the final word courtesy of Benzema’s Panenka-style penalty after Aymeric Laporte handled in the box.
Advantage City
With that narrow victory, City are now unbeaten in their last four home games against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Should his side avoid defeat in Spain, Guardiola would become the first manager to eliminate Los Blancos from this competition on three occasions.
Another milestone from King Karim
On the day of his 600th appearance for Madrid, the France international surpassed 40 goals in a single campaign for the first time in his career.
His two goals came from three shots – a tally only bettered by Phil Foden (four) – while he also registered a game-high total of three key passes (level with Kevin De Bruyne).
What’s next?
The two sides resume this epic battle at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday. Before that, Madrid host Espanyol in LaLiga on Saturday – the same day that City resume their Premier League title charge away at Leeds United.
KEY STATS:
- Manchester City are only the third team to win three consecutive Champions League matches against Real Madrid, after Bayern Munich (four in a row, 2000-02) and Juventus (three, 2005-08).
- This is the sixth time Madrid have lost the first leg of a Champions League semi-final – they have failed to reach the final on any of the previous five occasions they have lost in the first leg
- This was only the second Champions League semi-final match to see both sides score three or more goals, after Dynamo Kyiv drew 3-3 Bayern Munich in April 1999. It is the joint-highest scoring semi-final, along with Ajax 5-2 Bayern Munich (April 1995) and Liverpool 5-2 Roma (April 2018).
- Kevin De Bruyne’s goal after 93 seconds for Manchester City was the fastest eve scored in the semi-final of a Champions League match; the previous quickest was scored by Joshua Kimmich in May 2018 for Bayern Munich versus Real Madrid (2 mins 44 seconds).
Champions League Semi-final: Man City edge SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER in the UCL semifinals 1st Leg, Benzema completes brace with PANENKA penalty in Man City vs REAL MADRID: Check Highlights
- Vinícius (21y 288d) is Real Madrid’s second-youngest ever Champions League semi final scorer, after Nicolas Anelka in 2000 (21y 50d).
- Only Cristiano Ronaldo (10 in 2016/17) has scored more knockout stage goals in a single UCL campaign than Karim Benzema’s nine goals this season.
- This is the first time that Real Madrid have conceded twice in the first 11 minutes in a Champions League match (previous quickest was twice in 16 mins v Atletico Madrid in May 2017).
- The previous quickest Champions League semi final goal also came against Real Madrid (Joshua Kimmich after 3 minutes for Bayern Munich in May 2018).
Champions League Semi-final: Man City edge SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER in the UCL semifinals 1st Leg, Benzema completes brace with PANENKA penalty in Man City vs REAL MADRID: Check Highlights
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