Madrid rally past City to reach ECL final
Tales Azzoni |
Real Madrid have done it again in the Champions League.
The 13-time European champions produced yet another magical night at the Santiago Bernabeu, rallying late with two goals in two minutes by substitute Rodrygo to force extra time and defeat Manchester City 3-1 to advance to their first final in four seasons.
Karim Benzema, the hero of Madrid’s previous Champions League comebacks this season, converted a penalty in extra time for the decisive goal that allowed Madrid to advance 6-5 on aggregate — overturning a 4-3 first-leg semi-final loss.
Madrid had already pulled off thrilling comebacks at the Bernabeu against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 and Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Victorious Real boss Carlo Ancelotti — who now stands alone for most EuropeanCup/Champions League finals as coach with five — said the club’s rich history in the competition had helped them stay alive against the odds.
“I cannot say we are used to living this kind of life, but it happened also tonight what happened against Chelsea, what happened against PSG,” he told BT Sport:
“It’s really difficult to say why. It’s the big history of this club that helps us to keep going also when things, it seems, were gone.”
“The game was close to finished. We were able to find the last energy that we had.
“We played a good game against a really strong rival and after that when we were able to equalise the game, of course psychologically we were better in extra time.”
By doing it again against City, Madrid booked a spot in the May 28 final in Paris against Liverpool, who advanced by defeating Villarreal on Tuesday.
Madrid defeated Liverpool in the 2018 final, when the Spanish powerhouse clinched their record-extending 13th title.
The result ended City’s latest quest fora maiden Champions League trophy. Pep Guardiola’s team lost in the final last year to Chelsea.
A disappointed Guardiola admitted his side had not been at their best.
“We were close, we were close but at the end, we could not reach it … Football is unpredictable. It’s a game like this and sometimes you have to accept it,” he told BT Sport.
The crowd at the Bernabeu kept chanting “Si se puede (Yes we can)” throughout the match, but Madrid looked beaten near the end of regulation before Rodrygo scored his goals two minutes apart.
Riyad Mahrez put City ahead in the 73rd only for Brazilian forward Rodrygo to equalise on the night in the 90th and then level the aggregate score with a header a minute into stoppage time.
Madrid carried all the momentum into extra time and Benzema gave the hosts the 3-1 advantage by converting a 95th-minute spot kick after he was fouled in the area.
It was the 15th Champions League goal this season for Benzema, the competition’s leading scorer.
It was his 10th goal in the knockout stage alone, tying Cristiano Ronaldo’s record in a single season.
with PA
AP
