Man City and Real Madrid share 6 goals in a thrilling UCL classic
Wednesday 10 April 2024
UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Quarter-Finals
Real Madrid Vs Manchester City
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Av. de Concha Espina, 1, Chamartín, 28036 Madrid, Spain
Man City and Real Madrid share 6 goals in a thrilling UCL classic
Manchester City and Real Madrid shared a thrilling 6-goal spectacle in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, with the tie evenly poised ahead of the second leg next week.
MATCH PREVIEW:
It doesn't get better than this!! Two heavyweights of world football, collide at the Santiago Bernabéu, for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. Manchester City are on a winning streak and a long unbeaten run since December 2023. Their hosts, Real Madrid, are also doing very well in 2024. Following a 9-day rest from La Liga action, the 14-time winners, of this magnificent competition, are seeking revenge on their guests, following their embarrassing exit from the semi-finals after losing 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium last May. It is simple from here, win and you advance, lose and you face an exit in the second leg. Who will take the advantage to Manchester, and progress to face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich, will it be Pep Guardiola's treble chasing blues, or Carlo Ancelotti's record-breaking whites?
TEAM NEWS:
A sense of danger for Real Madrid fans, who have 4 players that are one booking away from suspension. Carlo Ancelotti makes 2 changes from their home win over Athletic Bilbao in the La Liga. Andriy Lunin keeps his place in goal, Aurélien Tchouaméni shifts to CB as he replaces veteran Nacho Fernandez, who drops to the bench. Vinicius Jr comes into the team to replace former Manchester City academy player, Brahim Diaz.
Starting XI: Lunin, Mendy, Tchouaméni, Rüdiger, Carvajal, Rodrygo, Kroos, Camavinga, Valverde, Vinicius Jr & Bellingham.
SUBS: Kepa, Modric, Joselu, Brahim, Fran Garcia, Eder Militao
The big news from Manchester City's camp was that Kevin De Bruyne is not in the starting XI due to illness as he only makes the bench, with Pep making 3 changes from their win over Crystal Palace away from home. Former Real Madrid midfielder, Mateo Kovacic starts against his former club, with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva starting in place of Rico Lewis & Oscar Bobb. There is still no Nathan Aké and Kyle Walker, as the duo continue to recover from their calf and hamstring injuries respectively. Ortega keeps his place ahead of Ederson, who only has a place on the bench.
Starting XI: Ortega, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Stones, Rodri, Grealish, Foden, Kovacic, Bernardo Silva & Haaland
Subs: Ederson, Doku, Álvarez, De Bruyne, Nunes
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Rodrygo: A brace in the La Liga, and he does like playing against Manchester City. 2 goals against them in the 2022 UCL semi-final comeback win, that sent them into the finals. Can he taunt the City defence today with his partner in crime, Vinicius Jr?
Bernardo Silva: Class is what defines him. 2 goals against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium last year, got the fans raving about him ahead of this game. Can he score against Real Madrid today to make it 3 in 3 appearances?
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
Underway we go!!! Manchester City kick-off at the Bernabéu. And it's only 44 seconds and City scored the game's first goal. Oh that was not good from Tchouaméni, and he will be booked. With this booking, he will miss the second leg at the Etihad Stadium. And that is a blow to Real Madrid.
On the ball now, are Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish. Silva to take, here it comes, AND IT GOES IN!!! WHAT A RAPID START FOR MAN CITY IN MADRID. ONCE AGAIN IT'S BERNARDO SILVA!! GREAT PIECE OF INTELLIGENCE AND SPOTTED THE HUGE HOLE IN THE WALL AND LUNIN DID GET A GLOVE ON IT, BUT TOO GOOD IN THE END FOR HIM!!! INCREDIBLE START FOR THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS AGAINST THE RECORD CHAMPIONS.
Bernardo Silva's incredible free kick puts City in front after just 2 minutes.
Wow. That stunned the Madrid fans, and we know well how they respond to setbacks. Can Real Madrid come from behind to equalise? It's very early in the game, and we will see. 10 minutes later, Real levelled the score. Carvajal, hasn't got much space, finds Camavinga, shimmies across, HITS THE SHOT, DEFELCTED AND INN!!!! REAL MADRID LEVELL!!! THAT WILL GET THE HOME CROWD IN FULL VOICE!!! NOT EVEN A QUARTER OF AN HOUR OF THE GAME, THE HOSTS ARE LEVEL! It might've taken a big deflection of the City skipper, Ruben Dias. It will go down as an OWN GOAL for Ruben Dias. Only the Portuguese's second own goal this season. But they won't care one bit.
Camavinga celebrates after scoring the equalizer for Real Madrid.
It is truly game on!! 2 minutes later, REAL ARE IN FRONT!! Grealish's cross picked up by Lunin. Throws it out wide to Mendy, finds Vini Jr. THAT'S A LOVELY PASS TO RODRYGO, AND HE'S GOT TWO DEFENDERS WITH HIM, GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE GOAL, HERE'S RODRYGOOOO!!!!!!! RODRYGO GOALAZO!!!! REAL MADRID ARE IN FRONT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS ENCOUNTER!!! MY WORD, BRILLIANT COUNTERATTACK FROM THE HOSTS, CATCHING THE CITY PLAYERS ON THE BREAK. STARTED WITH LUNIN AND FINISHED OFF BY THE 22-YEAR-OLD!! ADVANTAGE REAL WITH 15 MINUTES ON THE CLOCK!!
Rodrygo celebrates after scoring Real Madrid's second goal of the night.
That stunned the Manchester City players after that goal from Real Madrid, can they come from behind to avoid defeat? But first, they're going to have to survive the Madrid attacks in the first half, as Valverde's shot was comfortable for Ortega on 21 minutes. Real Madrid continued to attack the Manchester City defence, but Ortega was well-settled and saved almost all the shots, even with the help of some defenders, City were able to withstand any attack the hosts threatened.
2-1 at the break, with Real Madrid very content to take the narrow advantage with them to Manchester ahead of the all-important second leg.
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
Real Madrid get us underway. Can they hold onto their advantage for the next 45 minutes? And you can sense that Pep wants his City team to pin the Madristas in their penalty area and create more chances to get themselves level. And just as I said, Foden, Grealish and Rodri had their chances in the 10-minute period where City continue attacking. But none of them troubled Andriy Lunin. On 65 minutes, parity was restored, courtesy of Phil Foden. This is lovely play from City, as they have the ball. Foden, wriggles past a defender, IT'S FODENNN!!!!!! WHAT A GOAL FROM THE 23-YEAR-OLD!!! THIS MAN IS HAVING THE SEASON HE IS NEVER GOING TO FORGET!!! INCREDIBLE STRIKE, SILENCES THE HOME CROWD AND RESTORES PARITY WITH 25 MINUTES TO GO. OUT OF NOWHERE, MANCHESTER CITY ARE LEVEL IN THE CONTEST! 22ND GOAL IN ALL COMPETITONS FOR THE STOCKPORT BOY!! What a talent!
Foden's 22nd goal of this campaign sparked life into this tie on 65 minutes.
5 minutes later, City were back in front. Grealish, sees off Carvajal, this is wonderful work from the 28-year-old who sees off the veteran Spaniard, squares it for Gvardiol, who has been impressive today defensive-wise. HE TAKES A SHOT, AND WHAT A GOLAZOOOO!!!! GOOOOAL FOR MANCHESTER CITY!!! TURNAROUND COMPLETE!! AND WITH 20 MINUTES TO GO, THEY'RE BACK IN FRONT! He hasn't had much to do today, but THAT STRIKE WAS SIMPLY SUBLIME!!! JOSKO GVARDIOL HAS HIS 2ND GOAL IN THE UCL. HIS FIRST IN THE COLOURS OF MAN CITY. AND WHAT A TIME TO GET IT!!
Gvardiol's goal was assisted by Grealish as the duo celebrated on 70 minutes.
WOW!! This game has shown us the quality and the goals scored by both teams. Can Real Madrid avoid a home loss by grabbing a late leveller? And would you believe it?! REAL MADRID level the score once again! This is good play from the hosts. Modric gets involved in the build-up as he finds Vinicius Jr., not many players in the box, IN GOES THE CROSS, VALVERDEEEE!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS ME!!! THEY'RE BACK LEVEL AGAIN!! WHAT A MOVE, WHAT A GOAL, AND THIS GAME CONTINUES TO DELIVER!! FEDE VALVERDE MIGHT'VE JUST SAVED HIS SIDE FROM GOING TO MANCHESTER WITH A 1-GOAL DEFICIT. REAL MADRID 3 - MANCHESTER CITY 3. It is goals galore in Madrid tonight!!
Valverde celebrates his goal as he levels Real Madrid with 10 minutes to go.
Wave after wave of attack, nothing could separate the two sides beyond the 90 minutes. FULL-TIME IN MADRID. What a game!! A 6-goal spectacle is what we've been treated to! Next week is the crucial second leg at the Etihad Stadium, and who will fancy their chances of going to the semi-finals of the UCL?
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Phillip Walter Foden (Phil Foden)
The starboy of Manchester has had an incredible season up to date.
Not many people would identify this guy as the best performer in this year's UCL. Phil Foden has been in superb scoring form.
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