Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City: Kevin De Bruyne and Vinicius Jr trade stunning strikes

The way they had spoken last night about the prospect of Erling Haaland leaving the Bernabeu made it seem like Manchester City brought a warrior from the Middle Ages to take down Real Madrid.

The language and images used by Spanish newspapers on Tuesday morning spoke of a ‘monster’, a ‘bogeyman’ and ‘a machine’. It felt like there was fear in the anticipation and the characterization. The Norman was coming. Lock your houses. Build a wall over your goal line.

AS taunted City’s striker as Terminator on the run, one eye blaring red, his mouth open in a cry of rage. Next to him hung a picture of Vinicius Jr., the glamorous Real Madrid striker, dressed in a top hat and white gloves. “A magician and a machine,” read the headline.

For much of this enchanting Champions League semi-final first leg, it seemed as if the Wizard had won the game and the home side had demythologized the Machine. Antonio Rüdiger was Haaland’s shadow throughout the game, a shadow that clawed and struggled and wouldn’t budge an inch.

Haaland was a peripheral presence and Vinicius Junior, who now has 22 goals and assists in his last 22 Champions League games, scored a quite stunning opening goal late in the first half that looked set to end the game. But the lesson even a team as wise and experienced as Madrid learned last night was that City are much, much more than a one-man side.

The Belgian midfielder’s effort found the bottom left corner and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was left helpless

Vinicius Jr put Real Madrid ahead with a powerful drive from distance that beat Man City goalkeeper Ederson’s nosedive

Haaland may have improved them this season. His 51 goals brought them to the brink of the Treble. But his partnership with Kevin de Bruyne has been the main feature of City’s game and it was De Bruyne who stole the headlines midway through the second half with a magnificent equalizer.

The 1-1 draw means City have the advantage going into the second leg at the Etihad next Wednesday, but both teams are so explosive, so mesmerizing, that the tie is still very evenly balanced. You may see the rise of the Machine next Wednesday instead.

The build-up to the game was dominated by talk of Haaland and memories of last year’s showdown between these sides, which ended with a stunning comeback from Madrid, two goals in stoppage time and a winner in extra time.

Rodri, City’s midfield general, had spoken of a desire for revenge. Guardiola wanted to banish all rumors of revenge. “We’re not here for revenge, we’re here for an opportunity,” he said. “What happened happened in the past. It would be a great mistake to think about that.

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In the absence of the injured Nathan Ake, Guardiola called back Kyle Walker to play on the right side of the City defense to help negate Vinicius Junior’s threat. However, knocking out Vinicius Junior is about as easy as catching a bar of soap and the Brazilian striker showed his intent in the opening minutes as a breathtaking passing exchange with Karim Benzema freed him on the left.

That point came to naught and it was City who forged the first chance as Bernardo Silva danced into his marker and played a short pass to Kevin De Bruyne. His fizzing low shot was saved by Thibault Courtois, who threw himself down to the left to push it away.

City dominated possession and pressed for an opener. Haaland fired tamely at Courtois, Courtois pushed a shot from Rodri around the post, Grealish escaped down the left and broke a cross to the back post where Haaland got up to meet him but couldn’t send it past the goalkeeper.

Madrid struggled to hold onto the ball. Midway through the half, City held on for so long, going in and around their opponents, that the crowd grew irritable and whistled their disapproval. Standing on the sidelines must have been music to Guardiola’s ears.

The Brazilian’s goal was Real Madrid’s first shot at Manchester City’s goal during the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu

Ahead of the game, Erling Haaland was at the center of attention, but the Manchester City striker was well chained by Real’s defence

According to Manchester City, possession dominated the first leg SofaScore but Real Madrid ended the match with more shots

It was so effortless for City, it led to a moment of complacency. Rodri dawdled on the ball on the edge of his own area and Vinicius Junior stole it from him. He fired in a low cross for Benzema, but just as the French striker was about to tap the ball in, Ruben Dias produced a great sliding clearance to deny it.

Madrid seemed bolstered by City’s failure. They started to play with more conviction and nine minutes before the break Eduardo Camavinga played a fine 1-2 with Luka Modric on the outskirts of Madrid and burst forward into space.

He carried the ball and carried it and then put it in the path of Vinicius Junior. Vinicius Junior took one touch and then unleashed a bullet from a shot from 25 yards that went up and up and flew past Ederson, nearly bursting the back of the net. It was a wonderful strike.

It was impossible not to admire Carlo Ancelotti’s side for their match management, the way they sat back and let City dominate, the courage they showed to take the pressure and the ability to punish City when they got the chance got. “They are a team of killers who can smell blood,” Rio Ferdinand said on BT Sport.

Haaland got a rare sniff of goal ten minutes into the second half. He ran to a back pass and managed to clear a shot, but it was blocked by a fine save by David Alaba. Alaba was congratulated by Rüdiger as enthusiastically as if he had just scored. Rüdiger enjoyed his duel with Haaland.

But Madrid have learned the hard way that City have more than one threat. Halfway through the break, the home side lost possession on their own turf and when the ball was passed to De Bruyne, he blasted it past Courtois from 25 yards out. It was a strike as majestic as Vinicius Junior’s.

Ederson reacted quickly to stop a down Benzema header ten minutes from the end and then produced a stunning flying save to stop a rising drive from Aurelien Tchouameni and neither side could force a winner.