Manchester City heads to the Bernabéu Stadium with a narrow advantage after defeating Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, a match that saw seven goals scored. Manchester City showcased a remarkable performance, attacking Real Madrid's goal for long periods, but coach Carlo Ancelotti's team managed to reduce the deficit to keep themselves in serious contention for another final.
In the second minute of the match, Kevin De Bruyne scored with a header from a pass by Riyad Mahrez, putting the Belgian on the path to victory for his team. Quickly after, the impressive Gabriel Jesus doubled the score from close range, while the Spanish guests struggled to cope with wave after wave of attacks.
Mahrez frustrated his coach Pep Guardiola when he shot the ball into the outside of the net instead of passing it to his unmarked teammate Phil Foden. However, Karim Benzema, as always, rekindled Real Madrid's hopes by converting a Ferland Mendy pass into the net in the thirty-third minute.
The Spanish side narrowly avoided further trouble shortly after the second half began, as Riyad Mahrez's shot hit the crossbar. Manchester City then extended the lead to two goals when Foden headed in a pass from Fernandinho in the fifty-third minute.
The gap was narrowed once again when Vinicius Junior skillfully dribbled past Fernandinho from midfield and sprinted towards the goal, scoring a brilliant second goal for the royal team. Nonetheless, referee Esteban Kovacs's excellent use of the advantage rule allowed Bernardo Silva to fire a shot into the bottom-left corner of Thibaut Courtois's goal.
The excitement continued, and Benzema maintained his impressive performance, showing steel nerves when he scored a penalty against Ederson eight minutes before the end of the match after Aymeric Laporte handled the ball.
In the other semi-final of the tournament, Liverpool will face Villarreal on Wednesday at Anfield. The Champions League final will take place at Stade de France in Paris on May 28.
Will Manchester City be thwarted?
Manchester City's near-total control should have given them more than the slim lead they will carry into Spain for the return leg. Guardiola's team was simply unassailable at times, and they could have been ahead by four goals before Benzema got Real Madrid on the board. It's clear that the coach was frustrated with Mahrez's selfishness in shooting as Foden stood unmarked in front of the goal while the score read 2-0 in favor of City.
Guardiola and his players will likely be bolder in the return match, having identified multiple gaps in Real Madrid's defense, and they will hope to exploit their opponents' need to push for a goal in Spain. De Bruyne was once again brilliant, and Foden showed how he rises to elite levels at home. However, City should be concerned about the way their defense appeared at times, as it was weak, aiding Real Madrid in maintaining their hopes alive in this semi-final.
There are elements within Manchester City confident of advancing to the final, but most observers believe the encounter should have already been settled.
Benzema, Real Madrid's Sorcerer
Hope always exists for Real Madrid as long as they have Benzema, the 34-year-old Frenchman who deserves a place among the great attackers in world football. It is often puzzling how Real Madrid survives when they seem staggering, having overturned deficits to victories against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the knockout stages of the competition.
The comeback seemed far off after the host took the lead just eleven minutes into the match. Nevertheless, despite their struggles in other competitions, the La Liga leaders posed a threat, meaning Manchester City's focus levels could not drop for a moment.
It was no surprise that Benzema was the one responsible; he showcased his abilities with a left-footed shot that found Ederson's net to make the score 2-1. Brazilian youngster Vinicius Junior also scored a magical goal prior to the coolly taken penalty by Benzema.
Now that Real Madrid has survived the encounter at the Etihad Stadium, the Spanish team hopes the magic of the Bernabéu Stadium will inspire them to victory once again next week, under the guidance of coach Carlo Ancelotti, who aims to win the title for the fourth time in his career.
