During the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City, played at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (right) scores his team’s third goal to give his team a 3-1 lead.
Karim Benzema netted an extra-time penalty as Real Madrid stunned Manchester City 3-1 on Wednesday, setting up a final confrontation with Liverpool.
City were set to progress when Riyad Mahrez put them up 1-0 and 5-3 on aggregate, but Rodrygo, who came in as a substitute, produced a remarkable late double in the 90th and 91st minutes to force extra time.
With City still reeling, Real Madrid struck the decisive punch when Benzema won and then scored a penalty kick to clinch a 6-5 aggregate victory, adding another incredible comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu to the club’s long history of unforgettable European evenings.
As with PSG and Chelsea before them, City will wonder how they lost a match they mostly dominated, and there will be further focus on coach Pep Guardiola, who, despite his accomplishments, will spend another year without guiding City to European glory.
City’s failure would have been virtually unfathomable had they faced anybody other than Real Madrid, who advanced to their 17th championship final. They are one win away from claiming their 14th European Cup with a victory against Liverpool.
By repeating the feat against City, Madrid secured a berth in the May 28 final in Paris against Liverpool, who progressed after Tuesday’s victory over Villarreal. Madrid overcame Liverpool in the 2018 final, claiming a record-tying 13th trophy.
“We have an unfinished business”
The outcome brought City’s pursuit for its first Champions League title to an end. Last year, Pep Guardiola’s squad fell in the final against Chelsea.
Wednesday’s game began more evenly than last week’s back-and-forth first leg in Manchester, but City eventually took the lead when Mahrez found the top corner with a firm left-footed one-timer from inside the area following a pass by Bernardo Silva, who drew the Madrid defenders’ attention before feeding his teammate.
Mahrez scored both goals in the second leg of City’s quarterfinal against PSG last season. The Algerian became the first City player in Champions League history to score seven goals in a single season. Madrid had scored 22 goals in its previous eight matches across all competitions but failed to break through City’s defence.
Benzema set up Rodrygo’s first goal from inside the box, and Marco Asensio flicked Dani Carvajal’s cross in stoppage time for the Brazilian’s spectacular header.
Rodrygo scored twice as Madrid claimed the Spanish league championship in advance at the Bernabéu on Saturday, with players and coach Carlo Ancelotti appealing for support against Manchester City.
Fans had already greeted players spectacularly when the team’s bus arrived before to Wednesday’s match, clogging the streets around the Bernabéu.
Published By: Ifa Zamzami
