Everybody knew Real Madrid vs. Manchester City was going to be a tense match-up. However, nobody saw 6 goals on the scorecard. Real Madrid and Manchester City fought against one another for more than 90 minutes to come to a well-earned 3-3 draw to both sides in the Champions League quarter-final game on Tuesday.
This result means all eyes look toward the second leg. The second quarterfinal match up between these two top-10 sides in the world will decide who moves on to the next round.
Real Madrid vs. Manchester City – How It Happened
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Real Madrid 0-1 Man City ?? (2')
Real Madrid 1-1 Man City ?? (12')
Real Madrid 2-1 Man City ?? (14')
Real Madrid 2-2 Man City ?? (66')
Real Madrid 2-3 Man City ?? (71')
Real Madrid 3-3 Man City ?? (79')#UCL pic.twitter.com/laAMY1ran6— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 9, 2024
Manchester City had a dream start. Bernardo Silva took the Real Madrid goalkeeper by surprise and curled in a pinpoint accurate freekick from outside of the box. He scored with only 6 minutes played on the clock. The early goal gave City a huge energy boost at the start of the match.
Another favorable foul call went Man City’s way. Tchouameni, an important defender for Real Madrid, fouled Jack Grealish on the edge of the box. Not only did this give City a free kick in great field position, but it meant the Real Defender wouldn’t be able to play in the second leg.
Even with a terrible start to the game for Real Madrid, they came back with dominance. They controlled the ball for much of the first half, pressuring Manchester City and unleashing shots on frame. The breakthrough came in the 11th minute when an errant shot hit off of City defender Rodri and ricocheted into the net.
And that 11th-minute goal was exactly the energy boost Real Madrid needed to push on. Brazilian winger Rodrygo fired a low and hard shot into the corner of the goal only 6 minutes later. The Spanish team had the lead for the first time in the game.
A Manchester City Comeback
But, as we know with Manchester City, they never say it’s over until it’s over. We knew Pep Guardiola would shake things up in the second half to add more pressure to the dominant Real Madrid side. And that they did.
Pep Guardiola started Phil Foden as the 10, a great tactical decision that saw the youngster be the playmaker. The tactical change worked, as Foden rocketed home a super-sweet volley in the 66th minute to bring the teams level.
As we know by the scoreline, the goals just kept on coming.
Josko Gvardiol scored less than 5 minutes after Foden’s equalizer, bringing the fans in the stands to their feet. A tense atmosphere formed in the stadium. Real Madrid thought this could be the push that would see them win the first leg.
Thankfully for Pep and the traveling City fans, Valverde scored a late equalizer to see the game end in a fantastic 3-3 draw.
What The Managers Had to Say
Carlo Ancelotti was happy with the way Real Madrid performed in the intense match on Tuesday night.
‘I liked very much what I saw from our team, especially the interpretation of the match, the courage, and the personality.’
Similarly, Pep felt positive after the result.
‘We would have lost 4-1 or 5-1 in the first four or five seasons.’
This shows how Pep’s side has a huge drive to come back from being down, a challenge that Real Madrid will have to figure out in the Champions League second leg.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.