Real Madrid achieved the feat: they eliminated the best team in the world from the Champions League, which no one wanted to face before the final, and came out ahead. With a defensive and questionable style of play for a team as big as the Merengue club (although, perhaps, it was the only way they could take down Goliath), the Spanish team defeated the world champion at the club level and the current monarch of the European tournament.
With a 1-1 in 120 minutes and a 3-4 on penalties, the white team stood up for Spain and advanced to the next phase of the tournament, where they will be the only La Liga representative alive and will face Bayern Munich.
After a 3-3 at the Santiago Bernabéu, the return was a coin in the air, but this Wednesday Real Madrid found the goal early that tipped the balance and set the pace of the match when in the 12th minute Rodrygo finished on goal after a Vinícius center; The shot was saved by Ederson, but Goes did not forgive on the rebound and made it 0-1.
What followed next was a series of attempts by the English to equalize the score. It was pouring rain for Real Madrid; However, the Citizens were unable to break the lock and neither De Bruyne nor Haaland nor Bernardo Silva, who had the clearest chance, found the goal, leaving goalkeeper Andriy Lunin as the star.
In the second half the story was similar, Real Madrid leaned back and withstood all the attacks again and again: shots from crosses, long-distance shots, diagonals, individual attempts… everything, until they couldn’t take it anymore and it came De Bruyne made effective a pass from Doku and took advantage of one of the few errors made by the Madrid defense to put the ball into the back of the goal.
With the score at 1-1, not everything was lost for the Spanish club and they opted to force extra time and eliminate City on penalties. They continued to resist and, although just barely and Haaland made the comeback in the 90th minute, the scoreboard no longer moved and the tie prevailed
And another thirty minutes of suffering began for the Spanish club, another thirty minutes of holding on with Bellingham melted, everyone behind, and Vinícius who was injured in the third race he lost that night with Walker.
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Curiously, in the first extra time, Real Madrid was the team that came closest to taking the lead in a shot by Rüdiger from a Brahim center, but it did not happen.
Already in the second half of extra time, Carvajal was stiff and Ancelotti had to turn to Éder Militao as an emergency solution, while Guardiola removed De Bruyne and brought in Kovacic seeking to have even more control.
With the two teams melted, the tie went to penalties. And with the last breath, Real Madrid passed. Neither shooting first, nor with Modric missing his first shot, City were able to defeat their rival.
The Croatian’s failure was followed by an incomprehensible error by Bernardo, who threw him into the hands of Lunin, and by a save from the Ukrainian, hero of the night, to Kovacic. Bellingham, Nacho, and Rüdiger did not fail and Madrid, based on tenacity and stoicism, completed the feat and qualified for the semi-finals, where they will meet Bayern Munich.
