Real Madrid produced one of the great Champions League comebacks to defeat Manchester City 3-1 after extra time at the Bernabeu, and go through 6-5 on aggregate.
Even when substitute Rodrygo nipped in front of Ederson to steer home Karim Benzema’s pull-back in the last minute to draw level with Riyad Mahrez’s City goal, a Real win seemed a tall order.
But two minutes later the Brazilian leapt highest to head home Eder Militao’s cross and send the tie into extra time.
Three minutes into this added half-hour, Rodrygo squared for Benzema who was brought down by Ruben Dias and the Frenchman got up to send the City goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.
The match was uneventful for much of the game with Mahrez’s stunning strike, after Bernardo Silva had squared to him on the right edge of the penalty area, seemingly settling the game in City’s favour.
Then with four minutes on the clock, substitute Jack Grealish almost scored an incredible goal beating defenders on the left then rounding Thibaut Courtois and forcing a clearance off the line from Ferland Mendy, and then the former Aston Villa man was denied another great strike by the Real stopper’s outstretched boot.
These near misses didn’t seem particularly relevant with Real Madrid needing two goals going into the 90th minute – with Ederson not even having a shot to save until this point – but then came one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Real Madrid and this competition.
City and their manager Pep Guardiola are left with another heart-breaking exit from this tournament with the 13-time champions now set to face Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 28 in Paris.
TALKING POINT
Name…on…the…trophy – Clive Tyldesley’s famous words about Manchester United following Teddy Sheringham’s equaliser in the 1999 Final seems relevant now. Though it is a premature call with Liverpool to face, just as United still needed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to score a winner , maybe no team since United in 1999 have seemed a team of destiny like this Real Madrid side.
Although it seemed impossible that they would come back, especially when Jack Grealish was so close to scoring two at the other end, the fact they have constantly surmounted difficult positions in matches throughout the season kept them believing they could do so again. As well as coming from behind against PSG and Chelsea in the last two Champions League ties, they also did from two goals down against Sevilla last month, in a game with their big lead they had no reason to fight for their lives. But they did. It is what this team does. And their second Brazilian winger has often been their catalyst.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Rodrygo (Real Madrid) – It is amazing he was a laughing stock early in the season with just three league goals from his first two years at the Bernabeu. He has come off the bench to change games In the last-16, quarter and semi-finals – and against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City. There cannot be a substitute who has impact in successive rounds nor against this quality of opposition.
The game was dead for all intents and purposes. Grealish was dominating, almost scoring two great goals and it looked like even Real had lost their belief. But not Benzema, who did brilliantly to bring back an overhit cross from Camavinga, and especially not Rodrygo as he nipped into score and then two minutes later broke City hearts. From that point onwards there only looked like being one winner.
PLAYER RATINGS
Real Madrid: Courtois 7, Carvajal 7, Eder Militao 6, Nacho 6, Mendy 6; Casemiro 6, Kroos 6, Modric 6, Valverde 6, Vinícius Junior 7, Benzema 7.
Subs: Rodrygo 9*, Asensio 6, Camavinga 7, Ceballos 6, Vazquez 6.
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 7, Ruben Dias 7, Laporte 7, Joao Cancelo 7; Rodri 6, De Bruyne 7, Bernardo Silva 8; Foden 6, Gabriel Jesus 6, Mahrez 6.
Subs: Gundogan 6, Zinchenko 6, Grealish 8, Fernandinho 6, Sterling 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
20′ GREAT SAVE FROM COURTOIS Bernardo Silva was played through inside the box stylishly by De Bruyne and shot first time with his right foot high inside the near post but Courtois parried away.
46′ VINICIUS JR MISSES A SITTER! Almost straight from the kick off, Modric plays a long ball for Carvajal who crossed to Vinicius Jr at the back post but he slammed his effort wide. The flag went up but the offside would have been overturned.
73′ GOAL FOR CITY! A cracking goal from Riyad Mahrez. Bernardo Silva played the ball square to him on the right hand side of the box and he crashed an effort which curled just inside the near post which left Courtois flailing.
85′ GREAT EFFORT FROM CANCELO! He hit a serving drive from 25 yards on the right flank which was curling back into the far post but Courtois managed to push the effort away.
86′ ALMOST A WONDER-GOAL FROM GREALISH! He raced down the left flank and went around the keeper but his effort was cleared off the line from Nacho. That could have been the equal of a Ronaldinho EL Classico goal.
90′ GOAL FOR REAL! Rodrygo scores from close range in the 90th minute. Benzema does brlilliantly to keep in a long ball from Camavinga and Rodrygo nipped in front of Ederson to steer home.
90+2′ GOAL FOR REAL! Rodrygo again! Incredible. What a finish. This team will not die. Unbelievable. A fantastic header from Carvajal’s cross.
93′ PENALTY! Rodrygo crosses low into the box and Benzema went down under a challenge from Dias. He made a lot of it, but was there contact?
95′ GOAL FOR REAL MADRID! Benzema sends Ederson the wrong way and Real are in front for the first time in the tie.
