Bernardo Silva scores a brace as City surpass Madrid to win 5-1 on aggregate to set up a final against Inter Milan.
Manchester City marched to the final of the Champions League for the second time in three seasons after beating compatriot Real Madrid 4-0 for a 5-1 aggregate win at a gritty Etihad Stadium.
Bernardo Silva’s first-half doubles put City in control against the 14-time European champions on Wednesday, while an Eder Militao own goal after the break and a late fourth from Julian Alvarez sealed the deal for Pep Guardiola’s side as they ended last year’s acrimony. avenge. semifinal loss.
With Inter Milan awaiting the final, City will now be firm favorites to finally deliver the trophy that Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour has craved since buying the club in 2008 after losing to Chelsea in the final two years ago.
City are now unbeaten in 26 home games in the league. That run was never in jeopardy as Portugal’s attacking midfielder Silva hit a shot past Thibaut Courtois in the 23rd minute and then headed his side’s second in the 37th.
The second half was almost a formality as holders Real, who were bidding to win the trophy for the sixth time in 10 seasons, were outplayed by a ruthless City side approaching a treble.
And there was no turning back for Carlo Ancelotti’s team when Kevin De Bruyne’s free kick went off Militao in the 76th minute.
Alvarez put the icing on the cake of a memorable night for City with a clinical finish after coming on as a late replacement for Erling Haaland.
There was an air of anticipation and tension in City’s fortress before kick-off, especially as the showdown was billed as a de facto final with Inter Milan – in their first final in 13 years despite a mediocre Serie A season – awaiting the winners.
The line-up was almost identical to last week’s blistering 1-1 draw at Santiago’s Bernabeu Stadium, with the only change being Real’s rear, with Militao replacing Antonio Rüdiger.
As in the Spanish capital, City took a stranglehold early on as Real barely strung together two passes and found it almost impossible to escape their own half.
Twice in the first 20 minutes, Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved his side with saves from scoreless Haaland headers, the first a bit of luck, the second miraculous.
City’s pressure was relentless, however, and the breakthrough was not long in coming when Silva hit a left-footed shot past Courtois from the right side of the box – City’s eighth attempt on goal in the first 23 minutes.
It took Real half an hour to attack and even then City’s Kyle Walker won a sprint race with Vinicius Jr to douse the danger.
Toni Kroos, one of five current Real players to win the trophy five times with the Spanish club, then unleashed a dipping right-hand shot that tipped City keeper Ederson, who had been a spectator, against the crossbar.
A one-goal lead would always be dangerous against Real’s series winners, but Silva made sure City reached half-time with one foot in the final and was the quickest to react to loop a header into the net after Ilkay Gundogan’s shot was saved.
City played the rest of the half with the 14-time champions and could have taken the lead further.
Real needed some magic to give themselves some hope and it came almost six minutes after the break when David Alaba’s free-kick was acrobatically saved by Ederson.
Courtois did his best to keep Ancelotti’s side level with another save from Haaland as the Norwegian awaited his 53rd goal of an incredible season.
But any thoughts of a repeat of last year’s miraculous turnaround, when Real won 6-5 on aggregate, were banished when De Bruyne’s batted free-kick from Militao hit the net.
Alvarez then shot into the bottom corner for the first time in stoppage time.
“It’s a wonderful evening for us,” Silva told BT Sport.
“[The fans] helped us to have the momentum to go after Madrid. We were very resilient, we were passionate and organized.”
With their place in Istanbul’s flagship club secured, City can win their fifth Premier League title in six seasons this weekend and also have an FA Cup final to look forward to.