AFPJude Bellingham juggles
NOS Voetbal•gisteren, 23:04
Real Madrid and Manchester City provided a goal-rich spectacle in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Spanish and English star ensembles drew 3-3 at the Bernabéu.
The first three goals were scored in the first fifteen minutes, the other three within thirteen minutes of each other in the second half. The return in Manchester is next Wednesday.
NOS
The draw for the quarter-finals had paired the winners of the last two editions of the Champions League. Real won the most important European tournament for club teams for the fourteenth time in 2022. Manchester City finally joined the gallery of the greats last year by winning the top prize for the very first time.
De Bruyne ill
The more than 80,000 spectators were barely in their seats when the ball was already behind Andrij Loenin, the Ukrainian goalkeeper of Real Madrid. Manchester City, where Kevin De Bruyne, who surrendered just before the match, remained on the bench, made it 0-1 in the second minute thanks to a striking free kick from the Portuguese Bernardo Silva.
EPABernard Silva strikes for an early 0-1
To the relief of the Real fans, Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga scored the equalizer ten minutes later with a deflected shot. City goalkeeper Stefan Ortego therefore had no chance of winning.
The cheering had barely died down when it was hit once more. In the fourteenth minute the home club took a 2-1 lead through Rodrygo. The quick Brazilian was launched from his own half on the left and crowned his rush by scoring through the heel of Swiss defender Manuel Akanji.
Then the early rush of goals subsided. Rodrygo once more made it 3-1 in the 33rd minute, but he produced a deflection in a promising position. At Manchester City, Norwegian top striker Erling Haaland, good for thirty goals in all competitions this season, hardly featured.
ReutersEduardo Camavinga cheers following his goal once morest Manchester City
Real did everything they might to increase the margin at the beginning of the second half. Jude Bellingham and Vinícius shot wide and over in a promising position in the first fifteen minutes following the break. On the other hand, there was a nice opportunity for Jack Grealish. The Briton shot over from the left.
Teammate Phil Poden did not miss when he was played by John Stones in the box in the 66th minute at a time when City were improving.
The defender was left hanging following (only) the first corner of the match, received the ball from Bernardo Silva and served goldcrest Foden to make it 2-2. It was Foden’s fifth goal in seven Champion League matches.
Take out Guardiol
Things got even worse for Real when Croatian Josko Gvardiol scored from distance five minutes later and sent the ball into the goal just out of Loenin’s reach: 2-3.
The damage was repaired by Real with an unprecedented goal from Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan blasted Vinícius’ cross from the left out of the air behind Ortega for the equalizer.
Real then did their best to go for the winning goal. Without success.
