Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol fights for the ball with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham through the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Real Madrid and Manchester City drew 3-3 in a frantic first leg of the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Tuesday, with the primary three objectives coming in the opening 14 minutes earlier than the rivals exchanged blows once more in the second half.
Federico Valverde scored a 79th-minute equalizer for Madrid after City had rallied with Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol scoring objectives 5 minutes aside halfway by way of the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Bernardo Silva had put City forward two minutes into the match, however Madrid rallied with an own-goal by City defender Rúben Dias in the twelfth and a rating by ahead Rodrygo in the 14th.
The second leg will probably be subsequent Wednesday in Manchester.
It is the third consecutive encounter between the golf equipment in the knockout phases of the Champions League. Madrid eradicated City in the semifinals in 2022, whereas City bought one of the best of Madrid at the identical stage final yr. Both groups went on to win the title after eliminating their rivals.
The match at the Bernabeu went on as scheduled regardless of of a potential terror menace by the Islamic State, with no safety incidents being instantly reported.
In the opposite first-leg quarterfinal Tuesday, Arsenal and Bayern Munich drew 2-2 in London.
City struck early when Silva sneaked in a low free-kick shot that went previous the wall and caught Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin off guard by the close to publish.
Madrid equalized after a shot from exterior the world by Eduardo Camavinga deflected off Dias to wrong-foot City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Rodrygo put Madrid forward after breaking by way of the City protection to get to a go by Brazil teammate Vinícius Júnior in entrance of the world. Rodrygo’s shot deflected off a defender’s leg and slowly rolled previous Ortega and into the web.
Foden evened the match once more with an outstanding shot into the highest nook in the 66th, then 5 minutes later Gvardiol put the guests forward once more with a robust strike into the far nook.
Valverde’s equalizer got here with a neat low volley from inside the world.
The end result prolonged Madrid’s 28-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, in addition to City’s 26-match unbeaten run throughout all tournaments.
City had to deal with the last-minute absence of playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian worldwide who was ailing and needed to be dropped from the beginning lineup of supervisor Pep Guardiola. De Bruyne vomited after the crew arrived at the Bernabeu, although he warmed up with the substitutes earlier than the match and began on the bench.
Guardiola was additionally with out captain and first-choice proper again Kyle Walker as a result of of an harm, although Gvardiol, who had been listed as uncertain, began in the left-back place and ended up scoring a decisive aim.
Madrid had eight full days to organize for the match as there have been no Spanish league matches this weekend. City had solely two full days to prepare after enjoying in the Premier League on Saturday.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made his record-extending 2 hundredth look as a coach in the Champions League. He is also the coach with probably the most titles (4) and victories (114). It was his 59th recreation as Madrid coach in the European competitors.
