'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sergio Aguero has suggested Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi was in awe of Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League comeback against Manchester City on May 4.
In the 89th minute of the dramatic semi-final second-leg between City and Madrid, the Premier League leaders were 1-0 up on the night and leading 5-3 on aggregate.
Pep Guardiola's men seemed to be sailing through to the final in Paris on May 28 to face Liverpool via Riyad Mahrez's sweet 73rd-minute strike.
But two Rodrygo goals in the space of two minutes during added time would take the tie to extra-time.
Karim Benzema's first-half penalty in extra-time would lead to Madrid winning 6-5 on aggregate and shatter Manchester City's hearts.
According to City legend Aguero, Lionel Messi, formerly of Madrid's bitter rivals Barcelona, texted him displaying his shock at what will go down as one of the most unbelievable comebacks in the competition's history.
Messi supposedly texted:
""Stop joking, that can't be true."
Aguero himself had a similar reaction to Real Madrid's comeback whilst streaming with former City striker Carlos Tevez.
Wednesday's defeat for Manchester City will go down in history as one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history.
Real Madrid ensure Manchester City's Champions League curse continues
Real Madrid's comeback victory over Manchester City shocked the football world but fans have come to expect a capitulation from the Premier League side in the Champions League.
Last year, Guardiola's side, touted as heavy favorites to win the competition, fell at the final hurdle against Chelsea. Guardiola's decision not to start a defensive midfielder in the 2021 final has been debated over and over again. It was the closest the Cityzens have come to Champions League glory, losing 1-0 to the Blues on the night.
In 2019-20, City made a shock-exit at the hands of that campaign's underdog-story Ligue 1 side Lyon, losing 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
Due to COVID-19 the game was played behind-closed-doors in Lisbon and only in one-leg.
Lyon would make the most of those regulations and defeat a City side that never really got going on the night.
A double from Moussa Dembele and a Maxwell Cornet opener with only Kevin De Bruyne striking back for the Etihad side.
Perhaps the only Manchester City exit from the Champions League that was more devastating than the one against Real Madrid last night was during the 2018-19 season.
Guardiola's men faced Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals and surprisingly slipped to a 1-0 away defeat in the first-leg.
In one of the Champions League's greatest thrillers, City managed to bring themselves back into contention at 4-4 on aggregate.
The Etihad would then pay witness to what is one of the most iconic moments in Champions League history. Raheem Sterling thought he had won it with a late strike in added time with wild scenes of City celebrating then being turned into nightmares when the goal was ruled out by VAR.
Will City ever be able to shake their Champions League curse?
