The semifinals of the UEFA Champions League started last night with the match between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Real Madrid welcomed the English league topper at Santiago Bernabeu. The match was a closely contested affair, with both teams displaying their attacking prowess and creating several scoring opportunities. But in the end, the clash ended in a 1-1 tie at Santiago Bernabeu.
As it happened
Last night, Real Madrid hosted Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and City boss Pep Guardiola took no risks and deployed their best possible XI in this match. Carlo Ancelotti set up the team formation with 4-3-3, where Karim Benzema led the frontline with two fresh bloods, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
On the other hand, Pep Guardiola played his team in a 3-2-4-1 formation, where Erling Haaland played as the only striker. Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and Bernardo Silva played just behind the striker.
However, the match started with both sides playing aggressive football. The two teams were desperate to take the lead first. Manchester City’s attacks looked very threatening, but Real Madrid defended very well in the first half. Anyway, Real Madrid drew first blood in the 36th minute, as Vinicius Junior scored a superb goal with a bullet shot outside from the box to put the home side ahead.
After the break, Manchester City refused to be deterred and continued to push forward in search of an equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 67th minute, as De Bruyne clinically finished off with a powerful shot to level the scoreline. After that, both sides failed to score more in the remaining minutes. Therefore, the match ended in a 1-1 tie.
The result sets up an intriguing second leg at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City will look to finish the job and secure a place in the Champions League final for the first time since 2021. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will be hoping to overturn the deficit and keep their hopes of a record 15th European title alive.
