Do we really have to wait eight days before Real Madrid and Manchester City go at it again?
Both clubs left soccer fans around the world wanting more after playing to a seven-goal thriller in Tuesday’s opening leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal, with the English side emerging 4-3 winners at home.
One of the more memorable and entertaining matches of this season’s Champions League saw both teams trade goals in a breathless encounter, setting the table for a highly anticipated return leg next week in Spain.
Here’s what stood out from Tuesday’s game:
Man City rattles Real early on
The hosts set the tone right from the opening kickoff, going right at their opponents with wave after wave of attacking pressure. It took only 93 seconds for Real Madrid to buckle, as Kevin De Bruyne scored to stun the Spaniards. Riyad Mahrez came off the right wing, slipped between Real’s Ferland Mendy and Vinícius Junior, and then took on three more players inside the box before delivering an inch-perfect cross for De Bruyne, who made a late run into the box, to nod it home.
Just over 10 minutes later, Man City doubled its advantage, with De Bruyne playing the role of provider. The Belgian delivered a dangerous cross into the heart of the penalty box that Real’s David Alaba failed to deal with, allowing Gabriel Jesus to turn him and beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from close range. With Real down 2-0 after 11 minutes, it was the worst start to a Champions League match in the club’s long and illustrious history.
Benzema helped to bail out los blancos
Manchester City’s electric start to the match gave them a huge advantage, and suggested that it would be a long night ahead for Real Madrid. Overrun in central midfield, the Spaniards were also unable to deal with the English club’s frantic play down the wings and its whipped crosses into the box. City spurned two glorious scoring chances to make it 4-0, but even still, Real was reeling.
But los blancos can never be counted out when Karim Benzema is on the pitch. Almost on cue, the French striker dragged the visitors back into the game with a volley off a feed from Ferland Mendy that tucked inside the post to make it 2-1 going into halftime. Then, in the final 10 minutes, Benzema gave Real another life line, this time converting from the penalty spot with a cheeky Panenka – chip shot – to make it a 4-3 game and give his team hope going into next week’s second leg.
Benzema now has eight goals in his last three Champions League matches, and leads this year’s tournament with 14 goals. In total, he has 41 goals in all competitions in 2021-22, making him only the fifth Real Madrid player to hit the 40-goal plateau in a single season. Club legends Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez are the others.
Moments of brilliance and madness from Fernandinho
City was forced into a substitution in the 36th minute, when right fullback John Stones came off injured and was replaced by Fernandinho. The hosts hardly missed a beat after the change, as the Brazilian veteran terrorized Real down the side of the pitch with his probing attacking runs.
City retook its two-goal lead in the 53rd, when Fernandinho did well to win possession of the ball off Ferland Mendy inside Real’s half, and then streaked down the flank before hitting a gorgeous cross deep into the box for teammate Phil Foden to head past Thibaut Courtois. It was a brilliant sequence from Fernandinho, who displayed his defensive skills and attacking prowess all at once.
But just minutes later, Fernandinho tried to win another challenge for the ball inside Real’s half, only to come out on the losing end against Vinicius Junior. The much younger Brazilian successfully turned his countryman, and then went on a mad sprint down the left side, before cutting inside and beating Man City goalkeeper Ederson to make it a one-goal game again.
Absence of Casemiro felt by Real Madrid
Real Madrid fought back three times on Tuesday, successfully keeping Man City within reach as they head home to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for next week’s return match, where a 2-0 win will see them go through to the finals. The Spaniards will also have an ace up their sleeve for that game in the form of midfielder Casemiro, who was on the bench on Tuesday but didn’t play as he was still nursing an injury.
The Brazilian should be cleared to play next week, which is great news for a Real side that suffered without him in the opening leg. Teammate Toni Kroos took over his role as the main defensive midfielder, but the German international struggled with Manchester City’s pace and athleticism in the middle of the park, and routinely left Real Madrid’s four-man defence exposed. Casemiro’s presence next week will surely add much-needed stability and a presence of authority to a Real Madrid midfield that was sorely lacking both in Leg 1.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.
