In a thrilling first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Bernabeu, Real Madrid and Man City drew 3-3.
In a wild first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, Real Madrid and Manchester City drew 3-3. The first three goals came in the first 14 minutes of play, and the rivals traded blows once more in the second half.
Midway through the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, City responded with goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol, each five minutes apart. However, Federico Valverde struck an equalizer for Madrid in the 79th minute, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Two minutes into the game, attacker Rodrygo gave Madrid the lead, but City defender Rúben Dias’ own goal in the twelfth minute gave Madrid a response.
Manchester will host the second match on Wednesday of next week.
These are the clubs’ third straight meeting in the Champions League knockout stages. In 2022, Madrid defeated City in the semifinals, whereas in the same stage the previous year, City triumphed over Madrid. After defeating their opponents, both teams went on to win the championship.
Silva’s low free kick past the wall and near-post shot caught Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin off surprise to give City the early lead.
After Eduardo Camavinga’s effort from outside the area rebounded off Dias and caught City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega off guard, Madrid equalized.
After getting past the City defense and intercepting a pass from Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior in front of the area, Rodrygo gave Madrid the lead. After deflecting off a defender’s leg, Rodrygo’s shot gradually rolled past Ortega and into the net.
In the 66th minute, Foden struck a beautiful shot into the top corner to tie the score once more. Five minutes later, Gvardiol gave the visitors the lead once more with a strong strike into the far corner.
With a deft low volley from inside the area, Valverde equalized.
The outcome extended both Madrid’s 28-game winning streak in all competitions and City’s 26-game winning streak in all competitions.
Playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, a Belgian international who was forced to be substituted from manager Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup due to illness, was a last-minute absence for City. Despite warming up with the substitutes prior to the game and starting on the bench, De Bruyne puked after the team arrived at the Bernabeu.
Due to an injury, Guardiola was also missing captain and starting right defender Kyle Walker. However, Gvardiol, who had been deemed doubtful, began at left back and ultimately scored the game’s winning goal.
Since there were no Spanish league games this weekend, Madrid had eight full days to prepare for the encounter. City’s preparation for their Premier League match on Saturday was limited to two full days.
In the Champions League, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made his 200th coaching appearance, breaking the previous record. In addition, he holds the record for most victories (114) and titles (4). It was his 59th match in the European competition as Madrid’s coach.
Kane scores as Bayern Munich and Arsenal tie 2-2.
Harry Kane, the striker for Bayern Munich, made a welcome return to North London and scored his usual goal against Arsenal on Tuesday, as the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match concluded in a 2-2 draw.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star, who was frequently Arsenal’s rival in north London derbies, scored a penalty in the 32nd minute to give the Bundesliga team a 2-1 lead, according to Reuters.
Playing in their first Champions League quarterfinal in 14 years, Premier League leaders Arsenal took the lead early on thanks to a brilliant goal from Bukayo Saka.
However, six minutes later, former striker Serge Gnabry tied the score for Arsenal, and after Leroy Sane was fouled in the box, Kane scored his 39th goal of the year in all competitions.
With the tie hanging in the balance after substitute Leandro Trossard equalized in the 76th minute, Arsenal will go to Bavaria for the second leg next week full of hope.
