In the first 14 minutes, three goals were scored. Both teams attacked fiercely, resulting in an exciting match with stunning goals in the second half. Real Madrid and Manchester City played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, marking the beginning of an intense rivalry.
City manager Pep Guardiola commented, “I imagine the fans enjoyed a game like this, with six goals. Both teams wanted to attack, doing it in different ways, a bit out of control.” Federico Valverde scored the equalizer for Madrid in the 79th minute, responding to goals by Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol in the second half.
Bernardo Silva gave City an early lead just two minutes into the match, but Madrid quickly responded with an own goal by City defender Rúben Dias in the 12th and a score by forward Rodrygo in the 14th.
“We wanted to take at least a small advantage, but in the end, we are satisfied because we competed well and gave our best,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “If we do the same in the return match, we can come away victorious.”
The second leg will be next Wednesday in Manchester. It is the third consecutive encounter between the clubs in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Madrid eliminated City in the semifinals in 2022, while City got the best of Madrid at the same stage last year. Both teams went on to win the title after eliminating their rivals.
The match at the Bernabeu went on as scheduled despite a possible terror threat by the Islamic State, with no security incidents being immediately reported. In the other first-leg quarterfinal on Tuesday, Arsenal and Bayern Munich drew 2-2 in London.
City struck early when Silva sneaked in a low free-kick shot that went past the wall and caught Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin off guard by the near post.
Madrid equalized after a shot from outside the area by Eduardo Camavinga deflected off Dias to wrong-foot City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Rodrygo put Madrid ahead after breaking through the City defense to get to a pass by Brazil teammate Vinícius Júnior in front of the area. Rodrygo’s shot deflected off a defender’s leg and slowly rolled past Ortega and into the net.
Foden evened the match again with a superb shot into the top corner in the 66th to make it 2-2, then five minutes later Gvardiol put the visitors ahead again with a powerful strike into the far corner.
Valverde’s equalizer came with a neat low volley from inside the area. “We played exceptionally well in the second half until the final 10 or 12 minutes, but in the end, we know that for Madrid the match is never over,” Guardiola said.
The result extended Madrid’s 28-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, as well as City’s 26-match unbeaten run across all tournaments. Defending champion City is unbeaten in 22 straight games in the Champions League.
Guardiola had to deal with a sudden change when playmaker Kevin de Bruyne fell ill right before the match.
The Belgian player was unable to start, even though he tried to warm up with the substitutes. Guardiola also faced the absence of captain and key right-back Kyle Walker due to injury. Despite this, Gvardiol, initially uncertain to play, stepped in and scored a crucial goal from the left-back position.
Real Madrid had more time to prepare, with a full week of rest since there were no Spanish league matches. In contrast, City had only two days to get ready after their Premier League game on Saturday.
Ancelotti marked his 200th appearance as a coach in the Champions League, setting a record for the most titles (four) and victories (114). It was his 59th game coaching Madrid in this competition.
Ancelotti made a tactical change, moving Vinícius and Rodrygo to different sides to disrupt the City defense, which proved effective in Madrid’s second goal.
Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger once again contained Erling Haaland, similar to their previous encounter, where City won 4-0 at home after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
