Real Madrid and Manchester City drew 1-1 in their first leg match in Madrid in the semifinals of the Champions League. Vinícius Júnior put Los Blancos ahead in the first half from just over twenty meters out, but in the second half Kevin de Bruyne scored the equalizer from almost the same spot on the field.
Embed from Getty Images
In the semi-final of the Champions League, the fixture of this year's competition was on the program: Real Madrid vs Manchester City. Last year, the Madrid side came out on top in the same round after a thrilling double-header, but this time Pep Guardiola had a new weapon: Erling Haaland. Last week, the Norwegian striker broke the record for the most Premier League goals in a season with 35, and the phenomenon already has twelve goals in the Champions League.
The burly forward had a few small chances in the early stages but was largely kept out of the game. Not only did he constantly face double coverage, but Real Madrid also dropped back deep after the first few minutes. Manchester City could combine smoothly to a certain extent, but the spaces in the center became too small to be played effectively. Although the wingers also had little space, they did manage to create some danger. Real Madrid cleared everything skillfully, but they themselves had little possession. Carlo Ancelotti's team relied on quick counterattacks, but they often lost the ball prematurely due to the high pressure from Manchester City.
Although Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne had already forced Thibaut Courtois to make some difficult saves with long-range shots, the most dangerous moment came from Real Madrid. After a solo down the left flank, Vinícius Junior delivered a sharp cross towards Karim Benzema, but Ruben Dias slid in to prevent the Frenchman from scoring at the second post. Los Blancos then began to press Guardiola's team higher up the field. City was still the dominant side and managed to get out from under the pressure in patches, but a goal seemed far away. However, that was not the case.
The opening goal, however, did not come from the visitors but from Real Madrid. Eduardo Camavinga passed the ball to Vinícius after a good run, who fired it hard past Ederson from about 25 meters out. Then Manchester City had to search for an answer. Kevin de Bruyne almost found that answer shortly after the break, but after a good through ball from Bernardo Silva, he could not get the ball past his compatriot Courtois. The attempt by the 31-year-old midfielder seemed to herald an English offensive, but after a blocked shot by Haaland, it was Real Madrid that increased the pressure. Through mistakes by The Citizens and high pressure, the home team often quickly regained possession, but the Madrid offensive also did not last long.
In the end, Manchester City deservedly equalized through De Bruyne. After Rodri intercepted a risky pass from Camavinga, the ball eventually ended up with the playmaker, who shot it hard into the net. Both teams then went in search of the winning goal. The game flowed back and forth in the final stages, although Real Madrid had the slight upper hand. Karim Benzema and Aurelien Tchouameni both had big chances to change the score, but saw their attempts saved by Ederson. In the end, however, both teams could not make a difference, so the difference will have to be made next week in Manchester.
Updated: 10:55, 10 May 2023
