The game sheet
De Bruyne dictates the tone, Benzema calms the spirits
You shouldn’t be late! The match got off to a flying start with a KDB on fire. Diable Rouge opened the scoring in the second minute of play , header please, after a cross from Mahrez. ( 1-0, 2e )
It was only 9 minutes later that the break was made. Alaba completely missed his intervention on a pass from De Bruyne, Jesus took advantage of it and scored the second goal of the evening ( 2-0, 11e ) when there was very little game to see until then.
Real Madrid will seem absent defensively, Foden released a superb control and center in the small rectangle of Courtois but, fortunately for the Belgian goalkeeper, no Mancunian is present ( 15e ).
City’s short outings (and Ederson’s passes) will sometimes challenge their defense. After two warnings, Ederson once again put Dias in difficulty pressed by Benzema, the ball came back to Vinicius who touched the post. Without regrets since the Brazilian was signaled offside. ( 21e )
On the other side, after two duels won by De Bruyne, Mahrez found himself extremely alone in the Madrid rectangle. The Algerian makes the wrong choice and sees his shot go into the small right outside net ( 24e ).Foden overused yet another superb pass from KDB on the left side, his shot brushes the post ( 30e ).
The Madrid reaction was finally coming, and it obviously came from Karim Benzema. He volleyed a cross from his compatriot, F.Mendy, with the secret that only he knows and forced Ederson to turn towards his net ( 2-1, 33e ).
Benzema’s panenka, City will have regrets
The second resumed at the same pace, City almost repeated the feat when Mahrez, well launched in depth, touched the post with his left foot. The ball returned to Foden who, in a beat, returned to a Madrid defender while the goal was almost empty ( 48e ). Fortunately, the Englishman caught up with himself just after and made the break again ( 3-1, 53e ).
However, the people of Madrid reduced the score again via a magnificent solo from Vinicius who adjusted his compatriot Ederson at the end of the race ( 3-2, 55e ).
Laporte went there from his ascent ( 66e ) and saw a cross from Foden land at his feet. Luckily for Madrid, Courtois was well placed and easily picked up the Spaniard’s shot. Finally, Bernardo Silva sent a cannonball into the top corner of Courtois with his left foot to re-re-break in this roller coaster match ( 4-2, 74e )!
Yet in charge of the match, City offered Benzema the chance to double his goal counter after Laporte foolishly touched the ball with his hand in the rectangle. KB9 didn’t go with a dead hand and made the panenka to reduce the score ( 4-3, 81e )