Manchester City overcame the tense atmosphere of Real Madrid’s European nights and took a draw from the Bernabéu. Madrid was able to survive Bernardo Silva’s rogue goal in the first minute and then, when their battery was running out in the second half after having missed goals that would have put them ahead 3-1 and, after receiving two blows of the rival, he still had efforts to reach a draw that keeps him alive in a tie that was presumed good and is turning out to be magnificent.
Rarely has a clash of styles been as clear as what was seen last night. City did not give up the positional play that always characterizes the teams coached by Guardiola, teaming up again and again in the midfield and looking to do damage on the wings. Madrid was the usual electric eleven, very close at the back and capable of reaching the rival area in three or four vertical touches.
The surprise came with the lineups. That of Madrid was exactly what was expected but at City, in addition to the known losses of defenders Aké and Walker, two more were added: goalkeeper Ederson and Belgian Kevin de Bruyne, the player most feared by the whites, key along with Bernardo Silva in last season’s elimination. To replace the Brazilian Guardiola opted for Stefan Ortega, a German of Spanish origin, and for the midfield the replacement was Mateo Kovacic.
If the motto in Madrid was to play with courage and discipline, everything went up in the air in the first minute, in a lateral foul. When a cross into the area from Bernardo Silva could have been expected, the Portuguese assaulted the bench with a genius, a tight shot against the post poorly defended by Lunin, the Ukrainian’s only mistake in the entire match.
The ruling did not disable Lunin, who very shortly after blocked a poisonous shot from Haaland. The Norwegian, well marked by Rüdiger, still hasn’t had his day against Madrid.
If anyone presumed another City bathroom, they were wrong. Madrid reacted with integrity, without losing their cool and got into the game with fortune, something that Madrid usually finds in the Champions League because they pursue it fiercely, handle themselves well and dominate the keys to the competition.
Having hardly done anything, Madrid found the tie in the twelfth minute with a long shot from Camavinga that hit Ruben Dias and misled goalkeeper Ortega. A minute later, a great assist from Vinícius to Rodrygo allowed him to make it 2-1 with a subtle touch, a ball that entered little by little. Like two years ago, Madrid had scored two goals against City in two minutes.
From there the game went into the expected script. The ball belonged to City but Madrid defended themselves with order and Lunin did not have to intervene further in the first half. In fact, Madrid on the counterattack was much more dangerous and Rodrygo had two other chances and a Vínícius to increase the score in counterattacks in which the shot was not closed well and Ortega found himself with easy balls.
The most delicate moment for Madrid came in a kick by Bellingham in the center of the field on Ruben Dias (he took revenge for a previous one) that the French referee did not sanction and that would have meant he would miss the second leg. This is not the case of Tchouaméni, the only one of the four cautioned who will not be able to be at the Etihad. The others who were saved were Vinícius and Camavinga.
The second half began without a change of players. Bellingham was able to score on an error by the citizen defense. Then Vinícius missed the goal. City generated more play than danger until Foden took a shot into the top corner that made it 2-2 in the 66th minute. The worst for Madrid would come very soon, another great shot now from Gvardiol that put the score at 2-3. 71.
Everything seemed lost for Madrid again, but a great volley from Valverde made the score 3-3 in the 79th minute. Madrid attacked again until the end, without consequences for the score. This is not over. Whoever passes will have to sweat it, but Madrid has lost the home field advantage.
