The essential
- La Liga leaders Real Madrid, one game away from the title, travel to Premier League leaders Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Tuesday for a five-star Champions League semi-final.
- The Cityzens were quick to prove effective and led 2-0 after just 11 minutes, thanks to goals from De Bruyne (2nd) and Jesus (11th). Karim Benzema, author of a hat-trick against PSG in the 1/8th second leg and four goals against Chelsea in 1/4, again scored a goal by reducing the score to 2-1.
- In the previous round, Manchester City painfully had to get rid of Atlético, Madrid’s other club, in an electric double-header. For its part, Real, after eliminating PSG, brought down reigning European champion Chelsea, thanks to a great Karim Benzema in the first leg and after a breathless return leg.
Follow the match live:
21h50. A few small stats to wait for halftime. Regarding Real, it is the first time in its history that it concedes two goals in the first 11 minutes of a Champions League match. Regarding Karim Benzema, he reached for the first time in his career the total of 40 goals in a season, all in 41 games played. He is also the first Madrid player to reach this total since a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
45′. It’s the break ! 2-1 for City at the end of this first period. The Cityzens quickly stifled Madrid, but failed to kill the game and let themselves be trapped by the immense Karim Benzema, author of his 40th goal of the season. Everything has to be done !
45′. Very dangerous free kick for De Bruyne 25 meters from Courtois’ goal. It’s in the wall.
39′. This goal perked up Real, a little more conquering in its attitude. As for the Cityzens, they are again trying to settle in the opposing half.
37′. This is the 13th goal of the season in the Champions League for Karim Benzema, his eighth in the final phase. His season is simply superhuman.
36′. John Stones, who was just recovering from an injury, cannot continue and leaves the field prematurely. He is replaced by Fernandinho.
33′. AND THAT’S TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO TO! AND THAT’S IT! WHO ELSE ? KARIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMM BENZEMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ! As long as he is alive, Real is still alive. And what a goal for Real’s number 9, who converts a center from Ferland Mendy with an instantaneous recovery from the left. She was very hard to put on. City could have led 3-0, there are 2-1!
31′. New long shot from Zinchenko which does not go far from Courtois’ goal. Sacred game on the lawn of the Etihad.
30′. AND THE REAL WHO FAILED TO REDUCE THE GAP IN STROKE! Magnificent cross from Benzema for Alaba in the area. The Austrian’s header comes to die just next to Ederson’s right post.
29′. AHHHHHHH FODENNNNNNN AND THE 3-0 WHICH WAS STILL CLOSE! The little Englishman has a BOULEVARD in the back of Carvajal. He is perfectly served by De Bruyne, but his control is a bit off and his shot from the left is too crossed. The coup de grace will wait!
28′. The Cityzens run like starved on every ball held by Real Madrid. Huge burst of energy paid off so far, but to be seen over time, when you know Real’s endurance and their mentality in decisive moments.
26′. MAHREZZZZZ VERY CLOSE TO 3-0! OHHHH WHAT HE’S MISSING MAHREZ! Bernardo Silva finds Mahrez lonely on the left after a favorable counter. The Algerian decides to go alone, the pass line towards Foden, alone on the left, being well closed by Carvajal. But his shot from the right goes straight into the small outside net of Courtois. It grows !
25′. Small unfortunate slip for Mahrez, at the entrance to the Madrid surface. It must be said that its changes of support are perhaps too lively for this poor lawn…
21′. City did not ease the pressure on Courtois’ goal, who conceded a corner after a back pass from Militao.
18′. First opportunity for Real with Vinicius who inherits a good ball on the left side and whose shot is blocked. The corner gives nothing, except a failed combination and an immediate loss of ball for Real.
15′. And City going back on the attack, with incessant possession in the Madrid half. The Merengue did not return to their match at all and suffered the very strong pace of the Skyblues. You should never bury Real Madrid, but this is still a particularly bad start.
11′. GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL, JESUS! 2-0 ALREADY FOR CITY! WHAT A GAME START! Striker Kevin De Bruyne turned into a passer. On the right side, he finds Jesus who stands out in the area with an excellent call in the back of Alaba. He controls and, with success, manages to turn quickly to deceive Courtois. Real under water!
9′. For the moment, Pep Guardiola’s men have mastered their subject. The people of Madrid are serious about their defensive positioning and above all seem to be trying not to take any more risks.
6′. City spin in their area and Ederson scares himself with a throw-in that lands at Valverde’s feet. Fortunately for the Brazilian goalkeeper, Real didn’t do anything about it and City went straight on the attack.
2′. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! AND WHAT A WORK BY RIYAD MAHREZ! Rodri finds the Algerian on the right side, he gets rid of five Madridistas before sending a perfect cross for De Bruyne, who ends with a diving header in the area. City strikes entry!
2′. The ball is briefly Madrid in these first seconds, with a big pressing of the Cityzens in the 30 opposing meters which quickly bears fruit.
1′. HERE WE GO !! Mr. Kovács whistles the kick-off of this Manchester City-Real Madrid.
20h59. The anthem of the Champions League, it still does a little something.
20h56. Come on, the players are in the hallway! Only a few minutes left before the evening feast.
20h55. Second anecdote to shine in society: this semi-final first leg of the Champions League is Karim Benzema’s 600th match in the Real Madrid jersey. Not bad.
20h51. A little information on this match that will ensure you shine in society: the evening referee, the Romanian Istvan Kovacs, is the same one who refereed Sevilla FC-Lille in the group stage. Match in which he had distributed 11 yellow cards. And not a single red.
He also refereed the quarter-final first leg between Manchester City and Atlético. Another great opportunity to distribute cards.
20h45. We must be approaching the end of the warm-up at the Etihad, 15 minutes from kick-off!
20h41. Also note, in the commonalities category, that Manchester City and Real Madrid are both leaders in their respective leagues. In different situations, however: Real are 15 points ahead of Barça, their runner-up, and could be crowned this weekend, while Manchester City are only a tiny point ahead of theirs, Liverpool.
20h35. Since we have to find something that brings these two teams together, they happen to be the last two to have eliminated Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. City last season, in the semi-finals, Real this season in eighth. Sorry to the (many, we imagine) Parisian supporters who frequent this site for the bad memories…
20h33. After failing once in the round of 16, three times in the quarter-finals and once in the final, City and Pep Guardiola find themselves in the last four. And this time, they intend to go all the way, obviously.
20h25. City and Real have met six times in the past, in the Champions League each time. And it’s a perfect equality on all the confrontations: a victory for Real and a draw in the group stage in 2012, the same in the semi-finals in 2016, and two victories for City in the 1/8th finals of the very special 2020 edition.
20h20. Manchester City and Real Madrid have had mixed fortunes in C1. Real, of course, is the record holder of titles with 13 big-eared cups in its list. City, on the other hand, have only reached the final once since being taken over by the Emirates in 2008. That was last season, when they lost to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.
20:15. A man will obviously be to watch on the lawn: Karim Benzema. Executioner of PSG, with a hat-trick in the round of 16 second leg, and of Chelsea, with four goals in the two quarter-finals, the Frenchman has scored 12 goals in 9 C1 games this season and is probably experiencing the best season of her career.
We returned to the origins of the kid from Bron, with an account of his first pro match, January 15, 2005 at Gerland.
20h08. On the Real Madrid side, very few surprises and a typical composition for Carlo Ancelotti, also in his signature 4-3-3. Only Casemiro, recovering, is absent and replaced at short notice by Valverde.
Courtois – Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, F. Mendy – Modrić, Valverde, Kroos – Vini Jr., Benzema, Rodrygo.
20h05. Look, it looks like it’s songwriting time. Starting with that of Manchester City, which will notably present itself in its usual 4-3-3 but without its two titular side, and with Gabriel Jesus, author of a quadruple against Watford this weekend.
Which gives us the following XI: Ederson – Stones, Ruben Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko – Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva – Mahrez, Jesus, Foden.
20h00. Goodnight all ! And welcome to the Parisian site to follow with us, live, this semi-final first leg of the Champions League between Real Madrid and Manchester City.