Manchester City’s hopes of winning the Champions League again were dashed following a thrilling loss to Real Madrid on penalties.
Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva both missed penalty kicks as City lost 4-3 on penalties following a thrilling 4-4 aggregate quarterfinal match.
Real Madrid had taken an early lead in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium thanks to Rodrygo, but City dominated the rest of the match and eventually tied the score with a goal from Kevin De Bruyne in the 76th minute.
Erling Haaland had earlier struck the crossbar, and De Bruyne had missed a great opportunity to win the tie in normal time, but in the end, the competition’s record 14-time winners triumphed.
European kings can retake their thrones as Man City is denied a double treble.
The kings had dethroned the champions. The era of Manchester City was brief—just one year. Real Madrid, the team Pep Guardiola has long referred to as the “kings of Europe,” did what they always do to eliminate City from continental play. They managed to figure it out.
It took a fantastic comeback, a mishmash of penalty takers, and a few saves from goalie Andriy Lunin, who would have been on the bench if Thibaut Courtois hadn’t injured his cruciate ligament or if Kepa Arrizabalaga had played better.
However, Real managed to get past Guardiola’s favorites despite being battered but not vanquished and obstinate but not defeated. A semi-final matchup with Bayern Munich is now imminent. Now, a fifth of Carlo Ancelotti’s incredible career and a fifteenth European Cup could do.
European kings can retake their thrones after Man City’s quadruple treble denial
Real Madrid 1-1 Man City (4-4 on agg, 3-4 on penalties): Following Rodrygo’s first goal, Kevin de Bruyne forced a shootout.
No regrets’ says Pep Guardiola after Man City crash out of Champions League
After Manchester City’s painful penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid destroyed their hopes of retaining their Champions League title, Pep Guardiola said there were no regrets.
Despite putting on a strong showing in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola’s team lost the quarterfinal match 4-4 on aggregate—1-1 on the night—and the holders were defeated 4-3 on penalties by the Spanish powerhouses.
After falling behind early to a goal from Rodrygo, City had numerous opportunities to take control of the match, but their only consolation came from Kevin De Bruyne’s equalizer in the 76th minute.
“I would have preferred to win, but congratulations to Real Madrid, they defended so deep with incredible solidarity, and we did everything,” stated Guardiola, the manager of City.
“I don’t regret a single thing that we did. We always strive to generate more opportunities and give up less points since we think that will help you win, and we exerted every effort.
Pep Guardiola declares that he has no regrets after Man City’s Champions League exit.
Real Madrid defeated the club in a devastating penalty shootout to end their championship run.
Haaland and De Bruyne ‘asked’ to come off before Man City knocked out by Real Madrid
Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne requested to leave the team because “they could not continue,” according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, before Real Madrid eliminated the Champions League winners on penalties in the quarterfinals.
The season’s top scorer for City, Haaland, is also a reliable penalty taker. De Bruyne, who scored the equalizer for City, would have been one of City’s best alternatives going into the shootout after 14-time champions Madrid managed to hold on for a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Rather, Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin denied Bernando Silva and Mateo Kovacic as Carlo Ancelotti’s team advanced to a semifinal matchup with Bayern Munich.
Haaland and De Bruyne “asked” to leave before Real Madrid eliminated Man City.
In the shootout, Haaland and De Bruyne, who scored City’s equalizer, would have most certainly been given penalties as Real Madrid eliminated the champs.
Jude Bellingham divulges the “massive reward” that Real Madrid received from winning the Champions League semifinal.
Jude Bellingham lauded his Real Madrid teammates’ altruism and the team’s hard ethic during their quarterfinal Champions League victory over Manchester City.
Los Blancos advanced with a penalty shootout triumph, following a spirited 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium that ended in an eventual 4-4 draw.
After Rodrygo’s early goal for the visitors, Man City enjoyed the majority of the ball, the territory, and the chances in the second leg, but they had to come from behind to force extra time and penalty kicks. La Liga’s best players had to do a lot of running off the ball as a result, but they persevered and were rewarded by winning the match by a margin of 12 yards after 210 minutes of play.
Furthermore, Bellingham—who also scored a penalty kick in the shootout—cited Real’s effort and focus as the key elements that kept them in the match.
Bellingham reveals secret to Real Madrid’s ‘massive reward’ of UCL semi-final
In the victory over Manchester City via penalty shootout, the offensive midfielder scored.
REAL MADRID WIN ON PENALTIES!
Following City’s loss, Pep Guardiola says to the reporters, “You can win on penalties sometimes, and you can’t win on penalties other times.” However, even though we played strong defense, we were unable to capitalize on the opportunities we had. Everybody gave excellent performances. We stated that playing Real Madrid would require us to be at our best, and they were.
“They scored goals from the penalty spot a little better than us, and that’s what football is all about. We are not in the semifinals; they are. narrow margins. That’s just the way things are. Penalties can sometimes make you win and sometimes lose.
