In an electrifying first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabeu, reigning champions Manchester City and Real Madrid ended in a six-goal spectacle, leaving the tie wide open.
The game was off to a flying start with Manchester City, under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, seizing the lead in the second minute. Bernardo Silva masterfully curled a 25-yard free-kick around the wall, leaving Andriy Lunin helpless.
However, Real Madrid, with their rich history of 14 European Cup victories, managed to level the score. Eduardo Camavinga’s ambitious long-range shot took a deflection off Ruben Dias and nestled into the far corner of Stefan Ortega’s net. This was followed by Rodrygo exploiting a gap in the City defence and nudging the ball home via a deflection off Manuel Akanji’s heel.
Despite City’s dominance in ball possession, they struggled to make an impact in the final third until Phil Foden intervened. The English midfielder, who had been relatively quiet, found a pocket of space just outside the box, turned, and unleashed a shot into the top corner, restoring parity for City.
The momentum continued when left-back Josko Gvardiol, a summer signing from RB Leipzig, scored his maiden goal for City. Cutting inside, he found the far corner with an exquisite right-footed shot.
However, the last word was with Madrid. Federico Valverde produced a moment of magic, equalising with a spectacular volley, setting the stage for a tantalising second leg at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, 17 April.
