Man City vs Real Madrid LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as holders exit after penalty shootout
Man City 1-1 Real Madrid (4-4 agg; Madrid win 4-3 on penalties): City knocked out after agonising penalty shootout defeat
Manchester City’s dreams of retaining the Champions League were shattered after a dramatic penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid.
Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both missed from the spot as City were beaten 4-3 on penalties after their pulsating quarter-final tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.
Rodrygo had given Real an early lead in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium but City otherwise dominated and, after creating a host of chances, finally made it 1-1 on the night through Kevin De Bruyne in the 76th minute.
De Bruyne spurned a good chance to win the tie in normal time and Erling Haaland had earlier hit the crossbar but it was the competition’s record 14-time winners who ultimately prevailed.
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Kings of Europe can reclaim their crown as Man City are denied the double treble
The champions were dethroned by the kings. Manchester City’s reign lasted only a year. Real Madrid, the club Pep Guardiola has long described as the kings of Europe, expelled City from continental competition by doing what they always do. They found a way.
It required a wonderful rearguard action, a random assortment of penalty takers, a couple of saves from a goalkeeper, in Andriy Lunin, who would have been on the bench had Thibaut Courtois not suffered cruciate ligament damage or had Kepa Arrizabalaga displayed better form.
But Real, buffeted but not beaten, defiant but not defeated, found a way past Guardiola’s favourites. Now a semi-final against Bayern Munich beckons. Now a 15th European Cup could do, along with a fifth of Carlo Ancelotti’s extraordinary career.
Richard Jolly’s report from a dramatic night at the Eithad:
Kings of Europe can reclaim crown as Man City denied the double treble
Man City 1-1 Real Madrid (4-4 on agg, 3-4 on penalties): Kevin de Bruyne sent the tie to a shootout after Rodrygo’s opener
Rodri slams Real Madrid’s tactics after defeat: ‘I only saw one team’
Rodri claims he “saw only one team” trying to win as he bemoaned Real Madrid’s tactics following Manchester City’s heartbreaking Champions League quarter-final loss.
City’s European title defence ended in agonising fashion at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday as the Spanish giants prevailed 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on the night meant the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.
It was a clash the holders completely dominated, racking up 33 attempts on goal to the visitors’ eight, but Real defended deep to frustrate them and ultimately ended their hopes of a second successive treble.
City midfielder Rodri said: “To be honest, I saw only one team. In terms of defending, they defended (well). They knew how to suffer and we know how tough Real Madrid are.”
Rodri slams Real Madrid’s tactics after Man City defeat: ‘I only saw one team’
The Spanish giants prevailed 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on the night meant the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate
Why the rest of Europe is celebrating the Premier League’s night of failure in the Champions League
The world’s greatest show isn’t showing its face in the Champions League semi-finals.
That is actually refreshing in a football world where virtually everything is increasingly dictated by finance and off-field issues. There has been a general gloom in the European game about the strength of the Premier League, as if it’s almost futile to try and compete. That feeling was only compounded by the fact those seven years have seen English clubs occupy over half the places in Champions League finals. It is probably better for football as a whole to not have such trends constantly continue, and for such concentration of wealth to get worse. The great virtue of European football is after all its variety and vitality. Anyone that grew up playing Subbuteo, and poring over the kit colours or names for the scoreboard, will testify to that. It fed into the richness of the continental game.
Why Europe is celebrating the Premier League’s night of failure
‘Something must be done about the Premier League’ is a common refrain in European club boardrooms - so Real Madrid and Bayern Munich duly obliged, knocking out Manchester City and Arsenal to leave no English clubs at the semi-final stage for only the second time since 2017
How Real Madrid’s ‘lucky’ night exposed the truth about Man City
The man sometimes described as football’s greatest manager considered a result that could lead to Carlo Ancelotti winning a fifth Champions League, while his own tally will remain a mere three. “In other sports, we would have won with those statistics,” said Pep Guardiola. Manchester City had 32 shots to Real Madrid’s eight. Real scored four penalties to City’s three. Barcelona’s most successful coach quoted his mentor. “Johan Cruyff said luck doesn’t exist and I agree with him.”
There is, though, a case that fortune did not favour City: eliminated on penalties after 210 minutes of drama, they could reflect upon Real’s two deflected goals in the Bernabeu, the illness that made Kevin De Bruyne a late withdrawal in the Spanish capital, the moment when Erling Haaland hit the bar in Manchester, when the Belgian blazed over as he seemed set to cap a tour de force with a decider. There was Bernardo Silva’s misguided decision to try and chip Andriy Lunin from 12 yards; “it happens,” said a forgiving Guardiola. They were fine margins and this could have been another season of continental superiority. Indeed Ruben Dias, scarcely the most outspoken of footballers, said City “dominated the whole game” against Real.
Few can normally make that claim. It wasn’t, though, domination in the way it had been when Carlo Ancelotti’s side lost 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium last season. And if it is unfair to judge every game by that standard, or to compare it with the 2023 quarter-final demolition of Bayern Munich, those were the standards City set. They have no such statement performance against the best this season. Nor will they now.
How Real Madrid’s ‘lucky’ night exposed the truth about Man City
Pep Guardiola’s side could still win the double, but they are not the all-conquering force they were 12 months ago after being knocked out of the Champions League on penalties
‘No regrets’ says Pep Guardiola after Man City crash out of Champions League
Pep Guardiola insisted there were no regrets after Manchester City’s bid to retain their Champions League crown ended in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid.
The holders were beaten 4-3 on spot-kicks by the Spanish giants after their quarter-final tie ended 4-4 on aggregate – 1-1 on the night – despite a dominant display from Guardiola’s side in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
City fell behind early to a Rodrygo goal but created a host of chances as they sought to regain control of the tie but Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser was their only reward.
City manager Guardiola said: “I would have preferred to win, but congratulations to Real Madrid, they defended so deep with incredible solidarity, and we did everything.
“I don’t have any regrets about what we have done. Always we try to create more chances and concede less, because we believe that helps you to win and we did everything.”
‘No regrets’ says Pep Guardiola after Man City crash out of Champions League
The club’s quest for the crown ended in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid
Haaland and De Bruyne ‘asked’ to come off before Man City knocked out by Real Madrid
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne asked to come off because “they could not continue” before the Champions League holders were knocked out by Real Madrid on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Haaland is City’s top scorer this season and regular penalty taker, while De Bruyne, who scored City’s equaliser, would have also been among City’s top options ahead of the shootout after 14-time champions Madrid held on for a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Instead, Bernando Silva and Mateo Kovacic both had their efforts saved by Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin as Carlo Ancelotti’s side set up a semi-final tie with Bayern Munich.
Haaland and De Bruyne ‘asked’ to come off before Man City knocked out by Real Madrid
Haaland and De Bruyne, who scored City’s equaliser, would have likely taken penalties in the shootout as Real Madrid knocked out the champions
Jude Bellingham reveals secret to Real Madrid’s ‘massive reward’ of Champions League semi-final
Jude Bellingham praised the selflessness of his Real Madrid teammates and the work rate the squad put in during their Champions League quarter-final win over Manchester City.
Los Blancos progressed courtesy of a penalty shootout victory, after a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium resulted in a 4-4 aggregate draw.
Man City had most of the ball, the territory and the chances in the second leg, but had to come from behind to force extra time and spot-kicks after Rodrygo’s early strike for the visitors. That meant plenty of off-the-ball running for La Liga’s finest, but they stuck to the task throughout and got their reward by edging the tie from 12 yards when they couldn’t be separated over 210 minutes.
And Bellingham, who scored his own spot-kick in the shootout, named Real’s endeavour and concentration as the biggest factors in ensuring they stayed in the game.
Bellingham reveals secret to Real Madrid’s ‘massive reward’ of UCL semi-final
The attacking midfielder scored in the penalty shootout win over Manchester City
REAL MADRID WIN ON PENALTIES!
Pep Guardiola speaks to the media after City’s defeat: “Sometimes you can win on penalties and sometimes you cannot. But in the game we did not convert the chances that we had, even though we defended really. Everyone performed at a high level. We said we would have to be at our best to play Real Madrid and they were.”
“Football is about scoring goals and they did it a little better than us from the penalty spot. They are in the semi-finals, we are not. Small margins. It is what it is. Sometimes you win on penalties, sometimes not.”
REAL MADRID WIN ON PENALTIES!
Real Madrid have eliminated the reigning Champions League title-holders six times in knockout ties – at least twice as often as any other side in the competition’s history. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti has now qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League for the 10th time, the joint-most of any manager in the competition’s history (level with Pep Guardiola on 10).
REAL MADRID WIN ON PENALTIES!
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti also speaks to Movistar: “We started well, went ahead and then we had to fight to survive, we had to suffer. City had control because we defended too deep.
“By the time the penalty shootout came, we were totally convinced we’d go through. This is about the only way you can come to City and win. You work, sacrifice and win however you can. Pep Guardiola is a gentleman, always has been. He congratulated us, wished us good luck and that’s what a real gent does.
“We defended really, really well tonight. This was about survival. Madrid is a club based on always fighting to stay in situations where there seems to be no way out – but we always find a way.”
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