Final Score : Real Madrid 1-0 Manchester City
Real Madrid go through to their 14th Champions League final under Zidane’s leadership, setting up a Madrid derby fnal with Atletico for the second time in three seasons. Manchester City were simply not good enough over the two legs and lacked the quality to beat Madrid who were rarely threatened over the two legs. They will bid Pellegrini a fond goodbye at the end of the season and begin a new era under Pep Guardiola.
Full time
95: Carvajal’s cross is deflected off for a corner, which will certainly be the last kick of the game
93: Real Madrid now playing keep ball with Manchester City, circulating possesion with ease and mastery.
Stoppage Time: 4 minutes
90:Confusion in Real Madrid’s defence as Keylor Navas charges out and clears the ball. Real Madrid survive another wave of City pressure.
89: Manchester City are not showing much urgency, choosing to play the ball sideways instead of a more direct brand of football. Aguero gets the ball outside the box on the left and lets rip a shot which bounces on the top of the net. That was close for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid have had an astounding 15 shots on goal in this game while making 0 blocks or saves. City on the other hand have barely threatened, taking only 5 shots on goal, none of which were on target.
87: Substitution Matteo Kovacic on for Luka Modric
84:Yellow Card: Lucas Vasquez
City win a free kick near the corner flag after Sterling is recklessly fouled by Lucas Vasquez.
82: Sterling sends in a cross that floats harmlessly over Keylor Navas’s goal.
80: Otamendi wins the ball of Marcelo to start a counter attack. Raheem Sterling is freed down the left wing but is unable to beat Dani Carvajal on pace.
78: A small scuffle erupts between Toni Kroos and Fernandinho after Fernandinho tackles Marcelo a litlle too hard. Sergio Ramos of all people plays the peacemaker and breaks apart the two players.
76: Manchester City intercept and Madrid have the chance to counter. Gareth Blae runs from deep to find himself in a 2 vs 3 situation . He is effectively stopped by Otamendi’s sliding tackle.
74: Real Madrid have now begun to sit deep in their own half and will play on the counter attack. City are applying pressure but not being able to break through the Madrid defence.
72: Real Madrid now employing time wasting tactics as Carvajal pretends to be ignorant of the fact that his team have won a throw in and not a free-kick.
20 minutes to go in this game which is getting tenser by the minute. Manchester City are trying to get the ball to their creative talents and put pressure on Real Madrid
69: Manchester City substitution: Kelechi Ilheanacho on for Jesus Navas
Navas began the game brightly but faded in the second half. He is replaced by young Nigerian striker Kelechi Ilheanacho who has been in great form of late.
67: Real Madrid substitution: James Rodriguez on for Isco
A bold move by Zidane which shows Real Madrid’s intent to go for the jugular and win this game.
64: Real Madrid come close as Kroos’ corner finds Bale who beats Mangala in the air but the ball crashes against the crossbar.
63: Real Madrid earn yet another corner after Mangala defelcts Ronaldo’s shot.
62: Manchester City Substitution: Raheem Sterling on for Yaya Toure
Sterling replaces the ineffectual Toure who has been anonymous on his return from injury. A throw of the dice by Pellegrinin who surely feels Sterling will be able to offer his team something different
59: Ronaldo is released down the channels on the right. Otamendi fails to cover his movement but his shot is saved by Joe Hart
58: City lose the ball in Madrid’s half, Madrid counter but it comes to nothing.
There seems to be a change in Real Madrid’s tactics as Vasquez comes on. He will play on the left wing and Ronaldo will move to the strikers position formerly occupied by Jese
55: Substitution Lucas Vasquez on for Jese
- Carvajal is AGAIN released down the right flank and crosses to Ronaldo who tries to put the ball across the goalkeeper, but Joe Hart collects with ease. The pressure continues to build on City.
Real Madrid have dominated proceedings in the second half too, with City’s defending not having improved much. The way things are going, Real Madrid could well get another goal.
52: The two former Tottenham teammates, Bale and Modric combine as Bale lobs a pass to Modric who beats the offside trap and has his shot saved by Hart.
51: Jese is one on one with Otamendi who slides in and makes it difficult enough for Jese who skies his shot over the bar.
49: Bale switches the ball to Ronaldo with an inch perfect lobbbed pass. Ronaldo tries to shoot but miscues into the hands of Hart.
48: Jese is released down the right flank but horribly miscues his pass into the box straight into the hands of Hart.
45: Real Madrid continue where they left off as the ball is switched to Carvajal who crosses to Ronaldo who is called to be offside. Madrid moved down the right side with ease again as they continue to attack at will. City do not look llike theyve learned their lesson from the first half.
The teams are back on the pitch as Manchester City look to get back into the tie. Remember, it is still possible for City to go through if they score a goal and prevent Madrid from scoring.
Its half time at the Bernabeu as the teams walk back to their dressing rooms. Real Madrid lead Manchester City by one goal and have dominated possesion throughout, launching attacks at will.
Manchester City have to step up in the second half if they are to score and go through to the finals. The terms of qualification have still not changed for City as a single away goal will take them to the finals if Madrid do not add to their tally. Aguero has looked off the boil and will have to step up for Manchester City. Navas looked dangerous and the closest City came to scoring was with Fernandinho’s shot.
Half time
45+1: Real Madrid win a corner after Carvajal’s attempted cross is defelected out for a corner. Kroos takes the corner which finds a City player. The ensuing Manchester City counter is stopped in its tracks and the refree blows for half time.
45 :Stoppage time : 2 mins
44: City finally show a glipse of their attacking prowess as Navas switches the ball to Fernandinho lurking at the left hand edge of the City penalty area. Fernandinho narrowly misses out on goal as his strike hits the bottom of the left hand post.
43: The pressure continues to build on City as Gareth Bale shoots from around 30 yards with a powerful strike which is too close to Joe Hart, who collects the ball easily.
42: The ball goes out for a goal-kick after Clichy tries to play in Kevin De Bruyne with a pass that is a little too heavy.
40: Clichy wins City a corner after his cross is deflected out by Daniel Carvajal. The corner is aimed to the far post by De Bruyne but is claimed with ease by kepper Navas.
38: Modric releases Marcelo down the left flank but his cross is a little too high for Roanldo lurking near the edge of the five yard box.
35: Offside. Toni Kroos floats the ball from the free-kick in and is tapped into the goal by Pepe. The goal is disallowed for offside as Pepe made his run half a yard too early.
34: Gareth Bale is dominating proceedings down the right flank . A quick interchange with Kroos results in a freekick for Real in the middle of the Manchester City half.
33: A Kevin De Bruyne corner lands safely in the hands of Keylor Navas after being headed around in the penalty area.
32: Aguero goes down near the halfway line after being unintentionally hit in the face by Sergio Ramos
At the half an hour mark, Real Madrid lead the Citizens by one goal to nil. They have dominated proceedings so far and Manchester City have been restricted to sporadic raids down the right flank.
30: Yellow card. Kevin De Bruyne is booked for what was a needless foul on Marcelo at the edge of the Real Madrid penalty area.
Real Madrid are dominating possesion as they look to stamp their authority on this game. The midfield three of Isco, Modric and Kroos are making the Manchster City midfield chase shadows.
26: Real Madrid win a free kick near the corner flag after Ronaldo is fould by Otamendi. The ball in is dealt with well by Joe Hart who earns a free kick for City.
24: Manchester City work the ball down the right wing and Navas delivers a low cross which only ends up in the hands of Keylor Navas. Navas has been City’s most dangerous threat in this game.
23: Real Madrid are attacking at will as Ronaldo blasts the ball over after another flowing Real Madrid move results in Isco laying off the ball to the Portuguese.
This was the first goal scored in 110 mins in this tie. Surprisingly, it was also Gareth Bale’s first goal in the UEFA Champions League this season.
No surprise the goal came down the right side as Carvajal had been looking dangerous through the first 20 mins
20: GOAL! Gareth Bale scores off a slight deflection from Fernandinho after a through ball from Dani Carvajal on the right wing. Bale tries to cross the ball but the ball flies off Fernano into the top corner.
18: Fernando and Fernandinho are snapping at the heels of the elusive Luka Modric who appeals for a free kick but the refree waves play on.
Cravajal has been a major outlet for the Los Blancos down the right flank, creating space for Gareth Bale to move in and create havoc.
17: Carvajal seems have been instructed to bomb forward as Isco’s attempted lobbed pass to the full back goes over for a Real Madrid throw.
16: Gareth Bale frees Carvajal down the right wing but the Spainard’s cross has too much on it and finds no one in the box.
14: The ball is worked down the right wing and Carvajal delivers a curling cross into the box but Ronaldo heads it over the bar.
13: Real Madrid have held a majority of possesion as they look to build an attack at the edge of the City penalty area.
10: Early substituion for Manchester City as their skipper goes down with a muscle injury in his right thigh.
Substitution: Eliaquim Mangala on for skipper Vincent Kompany
8: Kompany ventures out with the ball and gives it away to Kroos who releases Ronaldo. Otamendi succesfully tackles as Kompany stays down. The ball is put out of play by Real Madrid as Kompany goes out with a muscle problem. He will take no further part in this game.
7 : Modric intercepts a ball on the edge of the area as Manchester City win a throw in
6: Great tackle from Fernando on Isco as he stops a Real Madrid attack.
5: Madrid win a corner which is sent in with pace by Kroos. Hart collects and clears.
4: Real Madrid win a free kick in the centre of the park as Modric is fouled by Fernandinho.
2: Carvajal darts down the right wing but leaves Modric’s pass as he would’ve been offside.
0: Manchester City kick off, the ball is passed to Kompany who clears it straight to Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas.
Real Madrid Starting 11: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Ronaldo, Jese, Bale.
Manchester City Starting 11: Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Kompany, Clichy; Fernandinho, Fernando; Navas, Toure, De Bruyne; Aguero
Manchester City visit Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu tonight in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The first leg of the tie ended in a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. The second leg promises to be a far more entertaining encounter than the first as both teams will be looking to score.
Manchester City will be motivated to win this game as they look to reach their first ever UEFA Champions League finals. The game means a lot to Manchester City and it was evident as outgoing manager Manuel Pellegrini had rested his crucial players in the 4-2 defeat to Southampton in order to keep them fresh for this game. The Citizens will be boosted by the return of midfielder Yaya Toure to the squad, while playmaker David Silva and full-back Pablo Zabaleta miss out due to injury.
Real Madrid, who have won 10 UEFA Champions League titles,will be looking to enter their fourteenth finals of this prestigious tournament. Manager Zinedine Zidane, who has won the tournament with the Los Blancos, has promised to attack and play their game in the second leg of this semi-final. Real Madrid’s attack will be reinforced with the return of talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo while Karim Benzema misses out with a hamstring injury.
The tie is poised evenly between the two teams. Manchester City only need to score and draw to win the tie. Real Madrid, on the other hand have to win this game if they have to go through to the finals, setting up a Madrid derby Champions League final. The match kicks off at 12.15 am IST.
Kickoff and Live Telecast
Date and Time: 27 April 2016, 00.15AM (IST)
Live Telecast: Ten 1 HD, Ten 2
Venue: The Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Live Streaming: Tensports
Betting Odds: Manchester City – 3/1, Draw – 17/5, Real Madrid – 12/5
