The Manchester City-Real Madrid thing already has the character of a legendary saga, after three consecutive ties between the last two champions, all resolved in diverse, extreme, distressing and exciting ways. An incredible comeback in extra time, a historic win and a penalty shootout at the Etihad, with which Madrid once again reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, where Bayern Munich awaits them. Rüdiger’s last throw crowned a performance of extreme resistance that took the duel further than ever on a night that rewarded an unnatural guild deployment of a team built to attack, but that resisted an incessant siege like a small one.
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Ederson Moraes, Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, Manuel Akanji (John Stones, min. 111), Walker, De Bruyne (Kovacic, min. 111), Grealish (Jeremy Doku, min. 72), Bernardo Silva, Foden, Rodrigo and Erling Braut Haaland (Julián Álvarez, min. 90)
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Andriy Lunin, Nacho, Dani Carvajal (Eder Militao, min. 110), Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Kroos (Modric, min. 79), Rodrygo (Brahim Diaz, min. 83) and Vinicius Junior (Lucas Vázquez, min. 102)
Goals 0-1 min. 12: Rodrygo. 1-1 min. 75: De Bruyne.
Referee Daniele Orsato
Yellow cards Dani Carvajal (min. 37), Grealish (min. 59), Gvardiol (min. 61), Rodrigo (min. 89) and Ferland Mendy (min. 93)
Manchester, a nightmare in last year’s 4-0, elevated a secondary that should not be there. Andriy Lunin rounded off an impressive night by saving two penalties in the tiebreaker shootout.
The last installment of the greatest rivalry of the decade had a spectacular ending to a night that began at a slow pace, with a brief period in which City advanced inch by inch, waiting for Madrid, which was going to look for them at the top, to get into disarray. , but without precipitation. They looked at each other suspiciously, waiting to see who would open fire. There were even phases with 22 guys standing on the grass. Until Real shot. And from that point there was no turning back. The liquid of another intoxicating night of football spilled out, an endless drowning.
The first salvo was fired by Carvajal, a left-footed shot that looked like a clearance. The balloon was tamed by Bellingham, who saw Valverde on the right. The Uruguayan spotted Vinicius’ run into the area, who crossed a pass into Rodrygo’s entry. The first shot was repelled by Ederson, but with the second, the Brazilian found the net, as he had already done in the first leg at the Bernabéu. Rodrygo’s spring has broken out again after another dry winter. He has emerged from another drought as a newly enlightened scorer, with five goals in his last four games.
Madrid’s advantage, so unexpected, woke up City, who abandoned and decided to advance. That awakening began to sink Real close to Lunin’s domains. The most supportive version of Madrid appeared again, with enormous joint wear, from Bellingham to Nacho, back in a big game at the most critical moment. His absence was barely noticeable, good company from the imposing Rüdiger, both accurate with their penalties.
City was colonizing territory, but the threat from Real remained latent. He recovered and continued to find escape routes, with the management of Kroos, Camavinga and a clairvoyant Valverde. Bellingham was also essential, dropping down and allowing time and space to be gained, delicate in the controls, powerful in the back game. The English was the axis on which the stampedes of Vinicius and Rodrygo rested.
The last step in the collapse was taken by Guardiola’s team when they began to find De Bruyne behind the defense, infiltrated between Mendy and Nacho. Or Bernardo. Or Foden. Madrid went into resistance, under the permanent downpour of City’s touch and its arsenal of talent. The last champion had the penultimate one subdued, supported by an unusual exercise of choral endurance and an enlightened goalkeeper. Lunin took from the Etihad another large collection of saves and a demonstration of dominance of the airspace against an opponent who in the first half alone had nine corners (17 at the end), with De Bruyne looking for the Olympic goal in several. The siege was suffocating. Madrid was holding on, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to find a way out.
In this record, and driven by necessity, City is overwhelming. It causes a sustained bottleneck with aroma in the last minutes. But a few last minutes that seemed to last forever. There was only relief in Lunin’s long goal kicks. But the ball lasted a blink of an eye, the moments of flight in the air. A handball match played only in one goal under the leadership of Rodri.
The crack did not appear and, with 20 minutes left, Guardiola sent the unblocker Doku onto the field instead of Grealish, who had not been able to handle Carvajal. And the Belgian entered with the right pick, volcanic against an exhausted Madrid. He reached the baseline against Valverde, Rüdiger cleared badly and De Bruyne burst the net. And shortly after he had another one to kill the tie, but it escaped him at the top. Madrid had dissolved. But he reached extra time standing. But the extension seemed like an infinite horizon with the perspective of that perpetual siege.
Which is what it was. City had kidnapped the ball and Real was chasing shadows. Doku flew, insistently on the left, while on the other side Vinicius melted in his last race against Walker, a dazzling portent. Endless, like Guardiola’s entire platoon.
Only upon sighting the extra-time break did Madrid stretch out again, with the air of Brahim. There they won the first corner, after 17 by the English, and Rüdiger was around for the goal. A mirage. They were in the scrapes. Carvajal also collapsed and Ancelotti had to turn to Militão, recently returned from the limbo of the fallen. And so, with a platoon of cripples under a bombardment, Madrid finally conquered Manchester.
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