Real Madrid faced a tough challenge but managed to quieten the crowd and finally put an end to Manchester City’s short reign in the Champions League.
The long-time champions of Europe took a step closer to their 15th title in the competition they’ve been dominant in, with a 4-3 victory on penalties at Etihad Stadium. But this victory didn’t come easy, as defending champions City pushed them to their limits.
“I was completely exhausted by the end,” said Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham. “It’s tough. City kept attacking and moving the ball around. Most teams would struggle against City’s pressure, but we held our ground.”
The game went into a tense penalty shootout after ending 1-1, with both teams tied 4-4 on aggregate.
City had more chances after conceding Rodrygo’s goal in the 12th minute, but only managed to equalize with Kevin de Bruyne’s goal in the 76th minute, despite dominating possession with 64% and having 18 corners compared to Madrid’s one throughout extra time.
In the end, Antonio Rüdiger’s successful penalty kick sealed the win for Madrid, as both Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic missed their penalties.
“In this competition, that’s how football goes,” City manager Pep Guardiola remarked. “In other sports, with these stats, we’d have won.”
Guardiola didn’t have many complaints. He admitted his team didn’t take advantage against a Madrid side that defended deep against their attacks.
Erling Haaland hit the crossbar with a header in the first half, and De Bruyne missed a chance from inside the box in the second half.
Madrid held on and will now face Bayern Munich in the semifinals after Bayern beat Arsenal 1-0 on Wednesday and 3-2. “Today it was all about mindset,” Bellingham stated.
The loss ended City’s attempt to become the first English team to win back-to-back Champions League titles and its pursuit of successive trebles. They’re still competing for the Premier League title and FA Cup.
Madrid’s win means they advance to the semifinals for the fourth consecutive year, stopping City from achieving the same.
“This was about surviving,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “Madrid is a club that always fights to stay in tough situations – but we always find a way. By the time the penalty shootout arrived, we were completely convinced we’d progress.”
Ancelotti has already won the Champions League a record four times as a coach — one more than Guardiola — and could extend that record by lifting the trophy for a third time with Madrid.
For Guardiola, it’s time to rethink his strategy after witnessing his team lose the trophy they won for the first time last year, and ending his 12-year wait to win again in European club soccer’s toughest competition.
“I have to thank these players from the bottom of my heart for the way they played. But football is about winning, and we didn’t do enough, even though we were exceptional,” he said.
This was the third consecutive season Madrid and City faced off in the Champions League, forming a classic rivalry. The winner of their matches went on to win the competition in the past two years.
Madrid got payback for last year’s defeat when City ended their trophy defense with a 4-0 loss in the semifinals. England midfielder Bellingham played a crucial role in Madrid’s first goal with a brilliant move to break through City’s defense.
He controlled a high ball just past the halfway line, evading Rodri with a skillful touch to throw off his opponent.
The ball was passed to Vinícius Junior on the right, who crossed to Rodrygo, scoring past Ederson on his second attempt after his first shot was saved.
The pressure paid off when De Bruyne equalized the game, lofting the ball high into the net after Rudiger only partly cleared a cross from substitute Jeremy Doku.
With no more goals in extra time, the match went to a shootout. City gained an early advantage when Julian Alvarez scored his penalty and Luka Modrić’s shot was saved.
But Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin then saved penalties from Silva and Kovacic, shifting the momentum in favor of the visitors. Silva’s attempt went straight down the middle and was easily caught by Lunin.
Rudiger took the winning penalty kick, sending Madrid fans into a frenzy and City supporters home. “We faced a lot of pressure tonight because City pushed hard,” Madrid captain Nacho said. “But we’re Real Madrid. We always fight until the very end.”
