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With a one-goal deficit to overturn, Real Madrid welcomed Manchester City to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for their Champions League semi-final return leg on Wednesday (4 May).
Fans inside the stadium expected another famous Champions League comeback, and Los Blancos did not disappoint. Courtesy of a last-gasp Rodrygo brace, they pushed the match into extra time and then saw Karim Benzema score the winning goal from the spot. The match ended 3-1 (6-5 on aggregate) in favor of Real Madrid, meaning they will face Liverpool in the final in Paris on 28 May.
Real started the match on the front foot and created their first opening after just four minutes of play. Unfortunately, Benzema’s header was not good enough and sailed over the bar. At the other end, it was Riyad Mahrez who lodged City’s first effort on-target in the 10th minute. His strike was neat but it was straight at Thibaut Courtois. The two teams traded blows in the first 45, but could not break the deadlock.
The hosts started the second half brightly and created a mouth-watering opportunity to level the game on aggregate through Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian shockingly lost his bearings and failed to hit the target from six yards out.
In the 73rd minute, Manchester City finally got the goal they were gunning for, with Mahrez scoring emphatically from close range. The goal gave City a healthy two-goal advantage with only 17 minutes to play, making them massive favorites to progress. Real Madrid, however, had other ideas.
They kept piling on the pressure on the visitors and finally cracked their resistance in the 90th minute through a Rodrygo tap-in. A couple of minutes later, they leveled the scoreline on aggregate through another Rodrygo goal, this time a header.
With the aggregate scoreline level at 5-5, the match went into extra time, where Benzema scored the winning penalty in the 95th minute. Ruben Dias fouled the Frenchman inside the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. After conceding the third goal, City were rattled beyond redemption and never looked like coming back into the game.
Here are five Madrid players who helped the Whites advance to their 17th Champions League final on Wednesday:
#5 Ferland Mendy
Having failed to make much of an impact in the first leg, Ferland Mendy really stepped up to the plate in the second. He diligently guarded the left side, rarely afforded the visitors any space, and, most notably, made a goal-line clearance that practically sealed City’s fate.
With three minutes of regulation time left on the clock, Jack Grealish brushed Daniel Carvajal aside and went for goal with a left-footed strike. With Thibaut Courtois beaten, the ball looked destined to end up in the back of the net. Fortunately for the Madridistas, Mendy was there to clear it off the line.
Against Manchester City, Mendy delivered a complete performance, winning five duels, registering three clearances, blocking a shot, and intercepting the ball once.
He also provided a cross and accurately delivered two long balls.
#4 Eduardo Camavinga
Brought in from Rennais for €31 million at the start of the season, Eduardo Camavinga is turning out to be quite an asset for Real Madrid.
He is calm and collected on the ball, has an impressive passing range, and presses until his legs give in. Against Manchester City, Camavinga was not given a place in the starting XI, but that did not stop him from making a massive impact.
Coming off the bench in the 75th minute for Luka Modric, Camavinga played a part in setting up Los Merengues’ opening goal of the night. His lobbed through ball fell perfectly for Benzema, who then turned it in for Rodrygo to score.
In his 45-minute cameo, the Frenchman registered 26 passes with 80.8 percent accuracy, played a key pass, won five duels and two tackles.
He also drew a foul, completed two clearances, and had three recoveries to his name.
#3 Thibaut Courtois
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been one of their best players this season.
The former Chelsea man has produced some impeccable saves over the course of the campaign, and last night’s performance was a testament to his quality.
The Belgian goalkeeper made a whopping eight saves in the match, with four of those efforts coming from inside the box. He also accurately delivered 10 long balls, had a high-claim, and performed a sweeping action.
Had it not been for Courtois’ fearless goalkeeping, Los Blancos would have certainly been down and out of the contest against the English champions.
#2 Karim Benzema
Last week, Karim Benzema scored a brace to keep Los Blancos in the contest against Manchester City. On Wednesday, he pitched in with a goal and an assist to ensure Real Madrid’s passage into the Champions League final.
The Frenchman missed a couple of half-chances in the first half and struggled to shake off Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias. However, thanks to his relentlessness, he continued to come hard at City and ultimately made the desired impact.
In the 90th minute, Benzema brilliantly received Camavinga’s cross and squared it off first-time to Rodrygo, who applied a comfortable finish. Then, in extra time, he drew a penalty from Dias and comfortably slotted home the resulting spot-kick to help Madrid win the game.
Benzema also made two key passes, completed two clearances, and won a duel. The 34-year-old was taken off in the final minute of the first half of extra time, presumably to safeguard him from injuries. Dani Ceballos replaced him.
#1 Rodrygo
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted to start versatile midfielder Federico Valverde ahead of wide-man Rodrygo. The 21-year-old waited in the wings for 68 minutes, after which he was finally brought on for Toni Kroos.
Rodrygo’s movements looked inspired right from the start, but not many would have imagined the impact he ultimately made.
The Brazilian bagged a brace in the dying embers of the match to level the tie on aggregate. His first was a cheeky tap-in from close range, while his second came through a glancing header.
Having pushed the match into extra time, Rodrygo helped his team in every imaginable way over the last half-hour of the match. He fought for every ball, stretched Manchester City’s defense, and dropped deep to keep the visitors from moving into threatening areas.
Against the English champions, Rodrygo had three shots on target, completed a dribble, won five ground duels and drew two fouls.
What a gargantuan shift by the youngster!
