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Summary:
- The Real Madrid versus Manchester City quarterfinal game ended in a 3-3 tie.
- The draw in Madrid has left the tie open for next week’s second leg.
- It was Carlo Ancelotti’s 200th Champions League game.
The highly anticipated quarterfinal clash between the last two holders of the Champions League trophies ended in a 6-goal draw.
The thrilling Real Madrid vs. Manchester City 3-3 tie that unfolded in Spain’s capital, at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, left the two wide open for the second leg that will take place next Wednesday.
An Epic Champions League Night
Just two minutes into the game, the Madrid crowd witnessed Man City’s Bernardo Silva drill a free kick from outside the area right inside Andriy Lunin’s right-hand post, giving his team a lead.
Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni received a yellow card for a foul on Jack Grealish which led to the goal, which means he will be absent in the return leg in Manchester.
It only took Eduardo Camavinga 12 more minutes to level the score with a long-range strike which he managed to deflect off defender Ruben Dias for an own goal as a result of wrong-footing keeper Stefan Ortega.
Two minutes later, the hosts took the lead with the help of Vinicius Junior’s brilliant through ball which Rodrygo managed to take in his stride before his weak goal-bound shot was deflected by Manuel Akanji.
Man City leveled in the 66th minute when Phil Foden’s top-corner strike went ahead when Josko Gvardiol fired home five minutes later with an excellent finish.
Federico Valverde‘s volley in the 79th minute brought a draw for Real, leaving fans thirsty for more.
“It Feels Like a Defeat”
Valverde commented on the equalizer, explaining that while it
lifts your spirits a bit for the return leg, a draw is a bit like last year, it feels like a defeat
Valverde acknowledged that both teams played a “great game“, emphasizing their ability to respond to the goal and score twice in a few minutes motivated them.
The game was played despite several social media posts from the Al-Azaim Foundation, which is a media arm of ISIS-K, calling for Champions League stadium attacks during the quarterfinal matches.
UEFA stated it was fully aware of the threats but decided that the matches would proceed as originally planned.
The third consecutive meetup of the two clubs in the Champions League’s knockout stages also represented Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti’s 200th game in the prestigious dugout.
Ancelotti has gathered the highest number of appearances as a coach in the European tournament. He also has the most titles and victories.
At the same time, Man City’s coach, Pep Guardiola, has the second most Champions League victories as a coach, succeeding with 109 wins in a total of 168 appearances.
The second leg between the two giants will be played at The Etihad on April 17, when a spot in the semifinals will be on the line. Who will make it into the next round? Get the latest live football odds from our selection of sport betting sites.
