Un spectacular match that will delight all football lovers. Manchester City took a short option for the Champions League final after their 4-3 victory against Real Madrid, still alive thanks to Benzema’s double, including one from a panenka on penalty, Tuesday April 26 in semi -final first leg, at the Etihad Stadium. For his 600e match in the jersey of Real, the French international embodied the fire, when it was necessary to shake up a team adrift in the first half hour and put them back in the match by reducing the score on a half-chance.
In a sumptuous meeting, the Mancunians, with four different scorers (De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Foden, Bernardo Silva) for their part failed to take shelter despite multiple occasions while the people of Madrid can still overthrow the trend next Wednesday in their lair at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Totally absent for the first 20 minutes, Real found themselves trailing by two goals after 12 minutes of play, unheard of in their long history in the Champions League. From the 2e minute, Riyad Mahrez wandered on his right wing to transplant in the center without being attacked and deposit the ball on the diving head of Kevin de Bruyne who stung the ball, despite the presence of Carvajal’s foot a few millimeters from his forehead (1-0). Less than ten minutes later, on a cross from the same de Bruyne, David Alaba missed his intervention and Gabriel Jesus only had to open his foot to double the lead (2-0, 11e).
Manchester City misses semi-final kill
If Real then knew how to keep the ball a little, Mahrez, preferring to play alone an opportunity in the 25e, making Pep Guaridola furious on his bench, and Phil Foden came close to breaking. The end of the first act was less hectic for the Spanish defense, but its torment resumed as soon as the locker room returned.
At the 48e, Mahrez again came on alone against Thibaut Courtois only to see his inside left-wing pushed back by the post on Phil Foden, whose instantaneous recovery was saved on the line by Carvajal. It was only a postponement, since 5 minutes later, Foden, six meters, did not let Fernandinho’s offer pass (3-1.53e), who replaced John Stones in the 36e minute at right-back where suspended Joao Cancelo and injured Kyle Walker were already missing.
And what about the sublime strike from Bernardo Silva in the top corner which left Thibault Courtois flabbergasted (4-2, 74e) or the slalom of Mahrez in the opposing defense, concluded with a shot that was a little too crossed (76e)! Still, the Sky Blues will only go with the smallest of advantages in Madrid.
Benzema extinguishes the Etihad with a Panenka
The fault – or the merit, it depends, still largely lies with a Benzema who did honor to his 600e game in a Real jersey, becoming the first non-Spanish to reach this milestone. After creating Madrid’s first thrills by placing the ball on the head of David Alaba (30e) for a header that was too uncrossed, like an alchemist, he transformed into gold, with a skilful recovery from the left, a cross from Ferland Mendy which was nothing short of a gift (2-1, 33e).
He also scored the third goal for the hopeful, from a Panenka who silenced the Etihad for a second of amazement, on a penalty eight minutes from the end (4-3, 82e). With this new double, he became the first Real player to exceed 40 goals in a season since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.
READ ALSOVincent Duluc: “Benzema’s trajectory is not far from legendary”
Meanwhile, at the 55e, it was his attacking partner Vinicius Jr who took advantage of an error by Fernandinho who threw himself and was trapped by the feigned body of his compatriot, who went to deceive Ederson with a lot of composure (3 -2.55e). The whistle was almost met with frustration at not seeing the show go on. But the confrontation is still very undecided eight days before the return. Between the realism of the Merengues and the ease with which the Citizens found flaws in their rearguard, everything suggests an equally prolific second act.