City capitulate as Madrid produce miraculous comeback to progress to Champions League Final
Semi-final 2nd leg
Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City AET (Agg. 6-5)
Real Madrid will face Liverpool in the Champions League final after they came out the right side of an extraordinary clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, beating Manchester City 3-1 after extra-time to progress 6-5 on aggregate.
Riyad Mahrez’s 73rd-minute goal seemed to have ended the 13-time champions’ hopes, extending City’s aggregate lead to 5-3, but Rodrygo gave the hosts hope in the 90th minute – and then incredibly forced extra-time with a header in stoppage time.
In just the third minute of extra-time, Ruben Dias was a fraction late on Karim Benzema in the box and the Frenchman sent Ederson the wrong way from the spot.
City managed to regroup but Thibaut Courtois produced a fine save to deny Phil Foden and Fernandinho put the rebound agonisingly wide.
The result was another shattering Champions League blow for Guardiola and prolongs City’s long wait for European glory.
It’s another incredible comeback from Real, who also looked dead and buried against Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the previous two rounds, and they have set up a rematch of the 2018 final they won against Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday 28 May.
It is the first time Real Madrid have reached the final after losing the first leg of a semi.
City were not at their best in a ferocious Bernabeu atmosphere but looked to have done enough to see through the job.
They were boosted by the return of fit-again Kyle Walker and the right-back did a fine job in restricting the dangerous Vinicius Junior.
Yet Real needed to force the pace and they went close after just four minutes when Benzema headed over from a Dani Carvajal cross.
The tension was evident and tempers soon flared with Aymeric Laporte and Luka Modric both booked after clashing during a stoppage in play.
Benzema and Vinicius then both blasted over as Real threatened again.
City grew into the game and created some openings themselves with Kevin De Bruyne testing Courtois from distance. Silva went even closer when he raced onto a clever De Bruyne pass but Courtois again saved, as he did from Foden soon after before Gabriel Jesus shot over.
City had a let-off in the opening seconds of the second period as Carvajal whipped a low ball across goal but Vinicius fired wide at the far post.
There was a further moment of alarm when Vinicius weaved his way into the area but Modric’s shot was blocked and City scrambled clear.
Walker’s battle with Vinicius finally took its toll as he was forced off midway through the second half and Guardiola also replaced De Bruyne with Ilkay Gundogan.
City looked to have weathered the storm and they took what appeared a firm grip on the tie as Mahrez broke the deadlock.
The goal came after the outstanding Silva tore through the Real rearguard with a charging run. He found Mahrez just inside the area and the Algerian expertly and clinically curled a shot into the top corner.
City were in sight of a second final appearance in two years but, just as in the first leg, they allowed Real back into the game.
As they have shown throughout the competition, the Spaniards never know when they are beaten and they set up a frantic finish when Rodrygo turned in a Benzema flick at close range.
The Bernabeu was now rocking and more drama followed as Rodrygo remarkably levelled the tie by heading home from a Marco Asensio cross in injury time.
City were shellshocked as the game went into extra time and they were stunned again as Dias brought Benzema down and the Frenchman stepped up to score from the spot.
City almost responded as Courtois brilliantly kept out Foden’s header. The ball fell to Fernandinho but he missed the target and Real went on to see out the second period of extra time.
