UCL: Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid: City edge Madrid in a seven goal thriller
Manchester City will take a 4-3 lead to Real Madrid for their UEFA Champions League semi-final return after one of the competition’s great matches.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side would have been aware what awaited them in Manchester but they could not contain the vibrant hosts early on. Inside two minutes, Riyad Mahrez weaved inside from the right touchline and crossed for De Bruyne to head in.
The Belgian schemer was at his unplayable best and quickly turned provider, crossing for Gabriel Jesus, who turned David Alaba before sweeping in the second goal.
Mahrez should have made it three and Phil Foden fired wide as Madrid appeared punch-drunk. However, as against Chelsea in their last European game, that was when they were at their most dangerous.
Again it was Karim Benzema who stepped up, guiding Ferland Mendy’s cross in off the far post for his 40th goal of the campaign in all competitions.
The chances flowed freely again after the break as the sides continued to slug it out. Mahrez raced clear to smack the post before Foden made it 3-1 from Fernandinho’s sublime cross but City’s joy was short-lived as Vinícius Júnior escaped Fernandinho within two minutes on the way to a wonderful solo effort.
Read: Benzema: 41 goals in 41 games and the Champions League’s top scorer
Still neither side relented. Bernardo Silva was next in on the act, thumping a drive past Thibaut Courtois from 20 metres, but Pep Guardiola’s charges could not keep hold of the two-goal advantage again as Aymeric Laporte’s handball gave Benzema the chance to become the outright top scorer in the competition this season.
The French striker’s Panenka penalty summed up a sensational contest, with the second instalment to come at the Santiago Bernabéu next Wednesday.
Key stats
- De Bruyne’s goal after 94 seconds was the quickest ever in a Champions League semi-final and City’s earliest ever in the competition.
- Nine of De Bruyne’s 12 Champions League goals have come in the knockout rounds, including all of his last seven.
- Jesus has now scored in each of his three appearances for City against Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
- This was the earliest that Madrid have conceded twice in a Champions League match; the previous quickest was twice in 16 mins against Atlético in May 2017.
- Benzema now has 14 goals in this season’s competition, moving ahead of Robert Lewandowski at the top of the scorer’s chart.
- Benzema has scored nine goals in his last four matches in the Champions League.
- Madrid have now scored (39) and conceded (35) the most goals in Champions League semi-finals.
