Real Madrid disrupts Man City’s eternal dream after an insane final


Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 23:35• Mart van Mourik

Real Madrid qualified for the Champions League final at the expense of Manchester City on Wednesday evening. The Citizens came close to a win in regular time, but thanks to two goals in the final minutes by Rodrygo, the Madrilenians were able to get the job done in extra time via Karim Benzema: 3-1. After the 4-3 in the Etihad Stadium, the crazy victory of the Royal to ensure a place in the final. On May 28, Real Madrid will face Liverpool in the final, which already secured a ticket to Paris a day earlier at the expense of Villarreal.

Trainer Carlo Ancelotti had few surprises in store. In the run-up to the squatter, the only question was whether the coach would choose Federico Valverde or Rodrygo. Although Rodrygo scored the first two goals in the championship game against Espanyol (4-0) on Saturday, the choice fell on Valverde. In the back, Nacho replaced the injured David Alaba. On the City side, Kyle Walker was fit enough to make his appearance. The right back was preferred by manager Josep Guardiola over John Stones, among others, who filled in the right back position in the first game. Nathan Aké had to settle for a spare role.

The Madrilenians started the meeting in the Santiago Bernabéu with great fanaticism. Although no shots were scored in the first act, Real Madrid got into scoring position three times. The first opportunity arose in the fourth minute of play for Benzema, who headed just over from a cross by Dani Carvajal. The second chance was also for the striker. This time, the Frenchman rushed out after a low cross from Valverde, sending him well over Ederson’s goal. After more than fifteen minutes of play, City got away well.

In an attempt to clean up, Aymeric Laporte played the ball within the penalty area in front of Vinícius júnior, who hit the ball wrong and shot wide. Then City became life-threatening in the counterattack. On the other side, Bernardo Silva had an excellent opportunity to open the score. Up close, he hoped to outsmart goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the short corner, but the closing post reacted alertly and converted the bet into a corner. Just before halftime, Phil Foden tried his luck with a shot from outside the box; Courtois, however, ducked the attempt from the bottom left corner.

In the opening seconds of the second half, Vinicius had the biggest chance of the match up to that point. After a lightning-fast attack right from the kick-off, the Brazilian was able to shoot in from close range from a cross by Carvajal, but the winger lacked sharpness in the completion. A few minutes later, Luka Modric’s shot into the goal mouth was blocked by Rúben Dias. Then there was a deadlock with much delay that lasted until the 73rd minute of play. Silva was given plenty of room to steam up the axis of the field towards the hostile sixteen, after which he passed the ball to Mahrez. The winger suddenly lashed out and curled the ball with the left in the right corner: 0-1.

With the goal, Madrid’s hopes for a good end result seemed gone, but nothing turned out to be less true. After the 0-1, the spaces on the field became larger and City had several chances for a new goal. Courtois saved João Cancelo with a nice save. Moments later, Ferland Mendy took a shot from substitute Jack Grealish off the goal line. In the ninetieth minute suddenly the Madrid remontada† After a cross by Benzema, substitute Rodrygo scored the equalizer from close range: 1-1. Less than a minute later, the Brazilian also made it 2-1. This time he nodded inside from a cross from Carvajal. They were also the first two balls to land between Ederson’s posts.

The football party continued right after the start of extra time. In the 95th minute, Benzema was served in the penalty area by substitute Eduardo Camavinga. The striker was knocked out by Dias, after which referee Daniele Orsato pointed decisively to the penalty spot. Benzema himself went behind the ball and sent Ederson into the wrong corner: 3-1. On the stroke of the first half, City came very close to the tie-in goal; Courtois, however, had an amazing save on Foden’s header. In the end City failed to save a penalty shootout.