A few minutes before kick-off, a flag depicting a double-decker bus was passed past Manchester City fans behind one of the goals at the Etihad Stadium. On the side was Phil Foden’s face next to the number 192, the number of the bus that runs from Manchester via Stockport, Foden’s birthplace, to Hazel Grove.
There was also something else written on it. ‘Wembley Express’ was written in large capital letters, a reference not to City’s performance there in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, but a nod to the fact that the Champions League final is on Sunday in North West London will take place. 1 June.
It turns out City won’t be there to play in it. Real Madrid rang the bell at The Etihad a few stops early last night and let City off the bus before it had left East Manchester.
After an exhausting draw dominated by a tenacious Madrid defense that ended 1-1 after extra time, it took a dramatic rollercoaster of penalties to decide this quarter-final, but Madrid won.
City took an early lead in that shoot-out, but a dreadful deflected penalty from Bernardo Silva that fell gently into the hands of Andriy Lunin changed the momentum of that part of the match and Antonio Rudiger, Madrid’s titan throughout the throughout the match, kept his nerves under control. to hit the final kick in.
Antonio Rudiger was mobbed by teammates after scoring the winning penalty
Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering team was supplanted by the Champions League masters
The City players look dejected at the end after taking the lead on penalties and then losing
Rudiger sent the ball past Ederson’s desperate dive into the corner of the net
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And so City’s dream of a Double Treble no longer exists. And their dream of becoming the only team outside Madrid to retain the Champions League is no more. This could all be bad news for Arsenal and Liverpool. Because now City will do everything in their power to win the Premier League title for an unprecedented fourth time in a row.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for City, who before this match had won 28 of their last 30 home games in the Champions League and drawn two. They had not lost at home in the league since the defeat against Lyon 2037 days ago. Everything changed last night.
The sides had also drawn the first leg in Madrid last season, but City were irresistible when the sides met in Manchester. Bernardo Silva scored two and Phil Foden’s pass to Julian Alvarez to set up the fourth was poetry. It was the kind of display that made everyone believe they would win the Treble.
This time the start was more conservative than last week, when the teams drew 3-3 in the first leg, or last year. It wasn’t until the 10th minute that Eduardo Camavinga managed the first shot of the match, a curling effort that was comfortably saved by Ederson, but it was still against the run of play as Madrid took the lead two minutes later.
Bellingham, who were chasing and harassing City and trying to knock City off their stride as they built from the back, collected a high ball with superb control on the halfway line and fed the ball out to Federico Valverde on the right.
Valverde passed the ball to Vinicius Jr. and his low cross appeared to catch Manuel Akanji off balance at the back post. He slipped as the ball went behind him and Rodrygo struck it towards goal from six yards out. Ederson made a brilliant save, but the ball went straight back to Rodrygo and this time he smashed it home.
Bernardo Silva is consoled by teammates after missing his penalty through the middle
The Brazilian has emerged as a key figure for Los Blancos and a huge threat on the wing
Rodrygo’s shot was parried back into his own path by Ederson and he made no mistake
City immediately laid siege to Madrid’s goal. Haaland wrong-footed Andriy Lunin with a running header that bounced off the crossbar and fell to Bernardo Silva, but with the goal gaping he couldn’t adjust his body in time to steer the ball home and the ball bounced off his shin and get in touch.
City threatened again 20 minutes before half-time when they took a quick free-kick as Dani Carvajal lay complaining of an injury near the touchline. City played the ball to Kevin de Bruyne on the right and his sharp shot was beaten away at full speed by Lunin. Madrid were furious and play had not been stopped so Carvajal could be treated.
Ten minutes later, after a few scares caused by Madrid’s lightning breakaways, Haaland broke through the visitors’ defensive line and spread the ball to Jack Grealish. Grealish ran towards goal and speared home a left-foot shot, but Antonio Rudiger made a great saving challenge and sent the ball wide.
City started the second half in a frenzy, Grealish hitting a stunning volley towards goal from the edge of the penalty area as Madrid struggled to clear a corner. It was directly with Lunin. A meter either side of him and the Real goalkeeper wouldn’t have stood a chance.
A few minutes later, City came close again. Under pressure from Haaland, Nacho tried to guide the ball back to Lunin, but lost his nerve at the last moment and tapped the ball back to him. By then Lunin had come to collect the ball, so Nacho only managed to poke it past him. Haaland tried to force it into the net as he rolled towards the line, but Nacho hooked it away in the nick of time.
Just as time seemed to be running out and City were growing increasingly frustrated, substitute Jeremy Doku came in from the left with 15 minutes to go and fired a low cross towards the near post.
Rudiger, who had played like a giant until then, pushed his ball straight to De Bruyne’s feet. De Bruyne needed one touch to control the ball and with the second he sent his shot high into the roof of the net from a few meters away. A roar of relief and elation rolled across the ground.
Kevin de Bruyne scored the equalizer for Manchester City against Real Madrid
The Belgian showed great composure by firing his shot past Andriy Lunin into the goal
Phil Foden’s face could be seen on a Manchester City bus flag in the crowd
Shortly afterwards, De Bruyne missed a golden opportunity to win the match, sat back and fired a shot over the crossbar. On the touchline, Guardiola held his head in his hands for what seemed like an eternity. The match went into extra time.
Guardiola replaced Haaland with Alvarez and City almost took the lead immediately after kick-off. Doku squeezed his way to the byline again, but this time his cross whizzed across the goal and no one could apply the finishing touch.
A few minutes later Bernardo Silva found Foden with a sharp cross, but for once the sweetest left foot mistimed the shot and the ball rolled harmlessly wide.
Rudiger came close to converting a difficult chance on the turn on the stroke of half-time of extra time, but hit the ball narrowly wide. Both teams were starting to look tired. Bellingham urged Madrid fans to double the volume of their support.
Manchester City’s dream of the double treble went up in smoke on Wednesday evening
Bernardo Silva’s penalty was weak and straight into Lunin’s arms
Rudiger was the hero and that was fitting after a gritty display from him at the back
Madrid’s defense again did not give in and the tie went to penalties. Alvarez took the first kick and scored and City took the advantage early on when Ederson saved Luka Modric’s effort. Bernardo Silva punished a terrible penalty straight at Lunin, who caught it as if catching a tame cross. Bellingham scored quietly.
Mateo Kovacic’s shot was brilliantly saved by Lunin. Lucas Vazquez sent Ederson the wrong way.
Foden scored for City. Nacho buried his kick. Ederson knew he had to score with City’s fifth kick and he did, but then Madrid’s titan Rudiger fired the winning kick low into the corner.